Your terroir

Ahhhh, your terroir…..your space….everything that makes up your world and, ultimately who you are. Terroir in the wine world is the elements of the environment (the type, amount, and intensity of climate, sun, water, soil, and aspect, in addition to the human aspect: knowledge, traditions, interaction and overall relationship with all the

I LOVED my yard in Wisconsin!!

above) that make up what the vines feed off of in order to grow the grapes to make “fine” wine.  That is the same with you – everything that surrounds you in your home, office, wherever you spend your time. Your terroir is just as important to your growth and development into a “fine”” you!

My terroir was not helping my situation. I had too much stuff! My closet, while envied by some, was just full of clothes, shoes, jewelry, things I thought I needed – but didn’t. I looked to ‘stuff’ to fill my world. I overbought thinking that the one sweater would make me happy, that new pair of jacket would create the ‘me’ I wanted to be, that 2nd, 3rd, or 4th pair of shoes would definitely define what I was looking to be.  And then there were the vases, pieces of artwork, the bowls, dishes, nic-nac-dust-collecting THINGS that I just figured would make me the amazing chef, the sophisticate, the glamour gal, the…dream anyone else…someone in my imagination.  Guess what, stuff just cluttered my world and fulfilled nothing, let alone did not create the “me” I was looking for. I needed to clean up my world, not only with what I was eating and putting on my skin, but get rid of the “preservatives”, “additives” and other non-essentials that just were not healthy for the real me. I was getting “carried away” with stuff!!

Look around you now. What do you see…and smell…and sense? Your surroundings make a huge impact on how you feel. Stacks of mail, rogue dishes, piles of clothes, closets and drawers overstuffed, misplaced random items and just overall bunches of stuff ~ not only does it clutter your space but, just like thinking about a thousand things at once, it clutters and clouds your head.

Cleaning up my terroir and making it my own did wonders for my psychi (notice ‘chi’ in there!).  My space, my air, my colors, my choice of whatever furniture, reading materials, flowers, etc., to create my own terroir.  I chose what best fit my life now in order to make it what worked for me. I started to eliminate what was merely taking up space and no longer beneficial for my current lifestyle. And just stop buying, collecting and keeping STUFF.

I love the outside: the sun, flowers, water, wind….and, lucky me, studies have shown that bringing the ‘outside in’, for example, a water fountain, fresh flowers, open windows, green plants and fresh flowers, stone or marble

All the spring colors at my house in Wisconsin.

countertops or accessories, earth colors (more than earth-tones~ look outside and see what colors you see, more than neutrals!) benefits your health and wellbeing! Check out The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative to learn more.

So, not to overwhelm myself, I started with one room, one drawer or one cupboard. I put everything in one pile in the center of the room, and looked at each piece. I just dealt with one thing at a time and asked myself: do I still want it? Need it? Even care about it anymore?  If so, I found a place for it where I could use it and really appreciate its value. If I wasn’t sure where it went, I really contemplated if I really wanted or needed it. There may be someone else who would really appreciate more than I currently did and want to actually use it!

For storage, I’m a big fan of non-opaque bins. If I can’t see what is in it, I have a tendency to forget about it

The two neighbor boys dropped over for breakfast in Colorado.

altogether. If I was planning on storing items, I thought about why.  Does it really have sentimental value or is it an emotional tie that I can untie? Has it become no longer useful and would someone else find use and value

out of it more than I would? Am I really ever going to use it again?  A great book on cleaning up and organizing your environment is The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up; it is about cleaning up your physical space but also helps on a metaphorical or spiritual level, too.

I had to clean out my space and fill it with what fit me now: allow the fresh air flow, let the sunlight back in, bring colors that feed my spirit, and create my terroir so I can breathe again and grow into who I am and what I want. Cleaning up my own terroir helped clear out my head and my heart too – actually, just was the holistic doc ordered (in addition to the food….).  Try it!  Ahhh, then sit back and choose what vintage of wine you would like to enjoy in your new just-for-you-terroir!