Dining Room Table Clearing Tips

 Dining Room Table Clearing Tips

eclaim Your Dining Room Table!

I just came back into my dining room after making a phone call. Today is the day my assistant is working in my office so I took all my “to dos” and spread them on the dining room table. As I looked at the table I thought, “This is what happens to my clients! They need space so they spread out on the dining room table. After all, it’s only used for eating two to four times a year! And, because they are not as compulsive as me, when it’s time to do something else, they just leave the stuff on the table. Stuff attracts stuff, so more stuff gets piled on the table. Then, clearing it seems like a nightmare job. The energy of the stuff is chaotic¹ and negative. And, of course we all want to avoid that! Unless you are anal like me!

How many of you having dining room tables that need to be excavated²? Does it bug³ you? If it does, bite the bullet and clear it off. If it takes getting a friend to help you, get it done. We really cannot afford to have large parts of our house feeling chaotic and burdensome. If we have that type of energy in our house, we are attracting that type of energy in our lives. Besides which, do you want to feel your spirit drop every time you pass the dining room? That’s what happens! And, I’ll bet many of you also experience a stream of thoughts like, “What a slob you are! Why can’t you get that table cleared?”

Once you get the table cleared, make a commitment to keep it clear. You may want to write a reminder⁴ to keep it clear and post it on the refrigerator. If you live with other people, make sure you let everyone know of your new commitment. Ask for their help to keep the table clear. Check it every day. Clear whatever accumulates on it every day. If you clear daily, it won’t seem like a big deal. If you wait until the weekend, you run the risk of then finding a task that seems to big to handle and go shopping instead.

If you use the table for a project, make a deal with yourself that you will create a new habit of picking everything up at the end of the project. Beware, however, the longer the project lasts, the more likely it is that other things will be dumped on the table. And, the longer the project, the harder it is to get the stuff of the table. It’s as if the papers and tools associated with the project grow little energy tentacles⁵.

My preference is to work on a project, or as is the case today with my many little projects, and pick up everything every day. By this evening my dining room table will once again be clear. All the bits and pieces of my work will be back in my office. And, I will be able to look at my dining room table and smile.

You may decide that they only way that you can keep the table clear is to use it only for its intended purpose, eating. But, you may also be worried about how you can change your automatic habit of dumping on that wonderful flat surface. My recommendation is to place a beautiful flower arrangement (silk is OK), ornamental⁶ ceramic⁷ decorative⁸ item or piece of glass on it, something with so much positive energy that it communicates, “Don’t dump here!” The item has to be striking, beautiful and big enough to get your attention. When you put it in place, you want to be thinking, “I don’t want anything to distract from this special piece!”

Start now. Clear your dining room table in preparation for the holidays. Then, commit to keeping it clear all year long. It’s a commitment guaranteed to reduce stress and create another peaceful place in your home.

1 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

2 excavated   

v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘

参考例句：

• The site has been excavated by archaeologists. 这个遗址已被考古学家发掘出来。
• The archaeologists excavated an ancient fortress. 考古学家们发掘出一个古堡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 bug   

n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器

参考例句：

• There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
• The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。

4 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

5 tentacles   

n.触手( tentacle的名词复数 )；触角；触须；触毛

参考例句：

• Tentacles of fear closed around her body. 恐惧的阴影笼罩着她。
• Many molluscs have tentacles. 很多软体动物有触角。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 ornamental   

adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物

参考例句：

• The stream was dammed up to form ornamental lakes.溪流用水坝拦挡起来,形成了装饰性的湖泊。
• The ornamental ironwork lends a touch of elegance to the house.铁艺饰件为房子略添雅致。

7 ceramic   

n.制陶业，陶器，陶瓷工艺

参考例句：

• The order for ceramic tiles has been booked in.瓷砖的订单已登记下来了。
• Some ceramic works of art are shown in this exhibition.这次展览会上展出了一些陶瓷艺术品。

8 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。