Four insights from experts to shake up your thinking

These ah-ha discoveries challenged and inspired me in my quest for a peaceful home.

“Style starts with self respect.”
— Colin Cowie

In his book Chic, The Guide to Life As It Should Be, lifestyle guru and celebrity event planner Colin Cowie tells a story of how he collected beautiful china that he rarely used, only to have it destroyed in an earthquake. From that moment on, he vowed never to save his nice things for later, but rather enjoy them today. He explained that deep down, he was telling himself he wasn’t deserving enough to use his special things.

Life is short and we only have today. Use your nice bubble bath. Set the table with your pretty linen napkins. Light the candles. Buy that orchid for your desk. You’re worth it and you deserve it. And the kindness you show yourself will radiate to others.

 

“Jesus didn’t have a junk drawer.”
— Sarah Ban Breathnach

I read Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book, Simple Abundance, early in my journey to a more thoughtful home and this tongue-in-cheek observation lifted the fog. Use this funny little truth to rethink some of the supposed norms that saddle us in our homes. Just because your mother had a junk drawer, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Just because everyone else displays their cooking utensils in a crock next to the stove doesn’t mean you have to. And dutifully saving all those random gift bags won’t make you a better person. Challenge expectations and excesses and live more intentionally.

 

“As the kitchen goes, so goes the rest of the house.”
— Marla Cilley

When your house is a wreck and you don’t know where to begin, start with the kitchen sink. So advises Marla Cilley in her book, Sink Reflections. If the kitchen is a mess, it gives you and everyone else in your family a free pass to let everything else go. A clean kitchen with no dishes in the sink tells everyone that this is a ship-shape operation for self-respecting people. It’s like the difference between starting your day with frosted donuts or with a healthy breakfast and a morning workout. You’re less likely to slip up when you’ve already invested some effort.

 

“Does it spark joy?”
— Marie Kondo

Forget purging and editing rules like, “If you haven’t worn it in a year…” Only one criterion matters: does it spark joy? In her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo asks you to hold the object in question in your hands and tap into your emotional reaction to it. This simple rule is liberating, because there is no right, wrong or ought-to guilt — just how you personally feel about the object. It’s the secret to living with what you love.

These foundational four philosophies were like colorful ribbons tied on trees that kept me on my path. I hope they guide you on your journey of intentional living as well.