June Saruwatari - Behind the Clutter: Truth. Love. Meaning. Purpose.

behind THE clutter

praise.

Behind the Clutter is a thought-provoking and attitude-shifting book. It is more than a book; it is a way of living life in a more enriching way, leaving you thinking about the truth, love, meaning, and purpose behind your actionsand stuff!

Debra Jay, nationally recognized bestselling author of Love First and It Takes a Family

I love Behind the Clutter! I am always on the go and dont have a lot of free time, so this book made me look deep into my soul and understand why I saved the things I saved and helped me let go of stuff that was just taking up space in my closet and my life.

Amanda Leesburg, media strategist and expert

behind THE clutter

TRUTH. LOVE . MEANING. PURPOSE.

june SARUWATARI

behind THE clutter
TRUTH. LOVE. MEANING. PURPOSE.

2015 June Saruwatari.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in New York, New York, by Morgan James Publishing. Morgan James and The Entrepreneurial Publisher are trademarks of Morgan James, LLC. www.MorganJamesPublishing.com

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In an effort to support local communities and raise awareness and funds, Morgan James Publishing donates a percentage of all book sales for the life of each book to Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg.

Dearest Mom and Dad,
Thank you for giving me the right stuff to begin with:
for teaching me that
happiness, love, and generosity,
being a good person and having a loving heart,
are the most important things,
and it isnt about the stuff.
Thank you for giving me the best stuff of all:
your unconditional love, support, and faith,
and
space for me to be all that I am,
for accepting me and my stuff,
which made me feel like
I could be, do, and have any stuff in life.

contents.

preface.

Thank you so much for choosing to go on this journey with me. I am truly and deeply honored that you are here reading this book.

First of all, I would love to manage your expectations from the beginning so you dont misunderstand what kind of book this is. This book is not your traditional how-to book on organizing, simplifying, and declutteringrather it is quite non-linear and nontraditional in that the book itself is not actually organized, simplified, or decluttered at all in the traditional sense. It is not about the ins and outs of simplifying and decluttering your physical spaces, nor is it a collection of instructions and guidelines about actual systems to implement on your journey toward decluttering your homes and offices. Instead, this book delves into what I believe is behind the clutterthe layers of mental, spiritual, and emotional stuff that tend to manifest in the form of physical clutter in our lives.

Ideally, the book will take you on a unique journey as you look at your own stuff, both internal and external, through a new lens. To best prepare for this journey, I would love for you to let go of any preconceived notions of how you are going to declutter, organize, and simplify your stuff, and not to search for the how to. I invite you to simply absorb what I am presenting to you and go on the ride with me. And enjoy it!

the process. for your miraculous transformation.

Based on my experience with myself and my clients, I have found that transformation doesnt tend to happen in some methodical A-B-C way, but in a zigzag way that may not even make sense to your logical brain. If you trust me as your tour guide and do the exercises as they are presented, you will release the spontaneous free ow of intel hidden in the private recesses of your subconsciousyour TruthLoveMeaningPurposeTMwhich will finally allow that transformation you so crave. You cannot force the change to come, but you can encourage it by gently accepting who you truly are, the stuff you are truly made of, and honoring your unique soul. From this fresh perspective about your life and your stuff, the how-to will organically arise. Suddenly, you may be compelled to let go of chunks rather than bits. Suddenly, your stuff will look different. Suddenly, you will allow yourself to be at one with your stuff so that it will tell you the real story and power of your stuff. Then, suddenly, one day you will start throwing away boxes of your stuff, having realized why you were holding on in the first place. When you understand the why behind your stuff, you will finally gain control of your life!

So think of this journey as a treasure hunt. Youll peel away the layers beneath your stuff, shine a light on the internal stuff lurking in the darkness, examine it with a fine-toothed comb, and decide whether youre supposed to keep it or let it go. I truly believe this path is the way to a long-lasting change in your relationship to your external stuff. Once you make the internal shifts, the external will shift to match what is going on internally. And you will see the amazing tapestry of your own life as a unique work of art. You will see the masterpiece you already are. You really wont need the how to from meyoull know what to do next, and youll be able to do it with love!

the map. to your special treasures.

Heres a brief map of our journey. First, the Stuff Test will give you a glimpse into both the inside stuff you are made ofand the outside stuff you may accumulate. To me, its a continuumboth funny and profound. Again, once we finally deal with the stuff going on inside, the stuff on the outside will radically shift. The Introduction will give you a glimpse into why I believe what internally lies beneath the clutter is actually the most important stuff.

Part One, The Foundation, describes what I believe to be the core infrastructure beneath your stuff, space, being, and doing. In Me & My Stuff, youll come to understand why I am the way I am, and why I have empathy for you on this journey of decluttering, as I am not at all neat or organized by nature. Then we will talk about You & Your Stuff, because the journey is really all about you, and nobody like you will ever be born here on this earth! Then, I will introduce to you four special words in a unique combination that form the criteria for all my decisions in lifeTruthLoveMeaningPurpose