Lightening the Load: Julie Coraccio's Journey Towards Spiritual Growth and Mental Clarity Through Decluttering

Welcome to another enlightening conversation in our Spiritual Spotlight Series, this time featuring Julie Coraccio, an acclaimed decluttering guru and certified life coach.

Julie's insights into decluttering are not just about tidying your home; they're about clearing the way for a life you long for. Through practical yet profound techniques, she guides us towards understanding the significant role clutter plays in our lives and how addressing it can lead to mental clarity and spiritual growth. Julie also connects the act of forgiveness, the practice of gratitude, and the search for passion and purpose to the cleansing process of decluttering.

In the second part of our conversation, Julie breaks down the process of decluttering into manageable, bite-size tasks. As someone who has personally navigated the emotional and spiritual challenges associated with decluttering, her advice is both practical and deeply empathetic. She shares her experience of dealing with family members in this process, and the revelations from her popular podcast Clear Your Clutter Inside and Out.

To top it all, Julie generously offers a free 15-minute consultation to guide you on the decluttering path best suited for you. Whether you're drowning in physical clutter or emotional baggage, this episode promises to guide you towards a cleaner, clearer life.

So get ready to lighten your load and make room for growth.

To work with Julie:

 Reawaken Your Brilliance

email: julie@reawakenyourbrilliance.com 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:48

Hello everyone, welcome to our Spiritual Spotlight series. Today I'm joined by Julie Craccio. She's an award-winning professional declutterer, life and end of life organizer, author, certified life coach and host of the popular podcast Claire Cutter. Claire, your Clutter Inside and Out. Thank you, julie, so much for coming on this Spiritual Spotlight series.

Speaker 2: 1:08

I'm so happy you're here. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here, so let's dive right in.

Speaker 1: 1:14

You're an award-winning professional life and end of life organizer. Can you tell us how the process of organizing spaces relates to organizing one life and even a soul? Sure.

Speaker 2: 1:27

So I would say that clutter is more important than organizing, and so I would probably substitute the word clutter for that.

Speaker 2: 1:36

So, in my viewpoint, the inner affects the outer. So, for example, if you have a messy desk, that can be roadblock to promotion. It can prevent you from writing that play, creating that piece of art that you'd like, or an overstuffed closet is might be preventing a relationship from blooming right. And so, looking at how is clutter affecting your life, and the more you clear your clutter, the more you can create the life you desire, that is so true.

Speaker 1: 2:04

There was a Martha Stewart quote that has stuck with me for many years, and it's an organized life as an organized mind, like that has always stuck with me and that is something that I strive to always be like okay, it's okay, just take the time to put something away, like, or get rid of it if I don't need it. Right, you know so decluttering is usually associated with the physical world our homes, our offices or closets, but how does your work extend into the emotional realm?

Speaker 2: 2:35

Well, definitely with most people, and definitely the people I work with, there is an emotional component to clutter. So, for example, oh, I can't let that go because I wore that sweater on the first date I had with my husband, right, well, hopefully we're still with the husband or partner, but if we let the sweater go, the relationship's not going to go. So one thing that people really get hung up on is memories, and so what I like to tell people is memories are in your heart and your head and if you give the object away, then the memory is still going to be there or, you know, it can be something deeper, like if you grew up in a chaotic household and you were to declutter. That could be very traumatizing, because clutter is the norm for you, that's your comfort zone and I really encourage people. If you can dig deeper, it's going to support you in being able to clear your physical clutter, but not also your physical clutter, your mental clutter, everything else. Everything affects. If you declutter in one area, it's automatically going to support you in other areas.

Speaker 1: 3:35

So what kind of led you to the journey of becoming a? You know you're a certified life coach. You're also an award-winning professional life and end-of-life organizer. What led you to that?

Speaker 2: 3:47

path. I was had been hired for a job. I had just moved from Los Angeles to Raleigh, north Carolina, started a job and I was like what have I done? This place is crazy. And I was like you know, you just can't up and quit. You're new to this place, blah, blah, blah. And so I was like, well, I'm going to. What can I do? And I'm like I just don't want to get another job. So I was like what skill set do I have? What can make me money and how can I make a difference in people's lives? And I'm like I'm going to be an organizer and I never forget I went do you know what score is?

Speaker 2: 4:18

No, what is that? Score is a great resource if you have anyone that's a business owner listening. So it's retirees who can help with marketing anything aspect of a business. They donate your time to help you. And I went and these old guys are like you want to do what People? What? That's actually a business. It was really funny and actually in Raleigh, when I was there, I had quite a few organizers and so I was like this is what I want to do. And then I really had an aha moment early on I was working with a client and she said can we just talk? I was like you're the client, we can do whatever you want. So we ended up I typically working for our blocks, so you can see a difference and within we spent three hours working and well, excuse me talking, and then that X hour she was able to release so much clutter and that was my aha moment. Ah, the clutter is more important and if we dig a little deeper, that's going to support us and you clear that clutter, then you can get organized.

Speaker 1: 5:12

I love that. So our audience is deeply spiritual and keen on self discovery. Can you maybe share some techniques or practices that link decluttering with spiritual growth?

Speaker 2: 5:25

Well, I think anytime you clear clutter, you're going to grow spiritually, right, because it's holding you back. So, when I talk about spiritual clutter, things that I believe strongly in are forgiveness. I think that that is a big place people get tripped up. If you don't forgive someone, they might not even know you're upset with them, right, but you know that you carry, they're taking up space in your head. I think gratitude is really important. You can't hold to opposing thoughts, so I can't be jealous of someone on Instagram and be in gratitude. So I think anytime, having a daily gratitude practice is something that's really important, and also, for me, part of that is finding your passion and your purpose. What gets you excited each day.

Speaker 2: 6:07

We live in a really different world if people were doing what they loved, but people talk about the drudgery of every day and their job, and so I think that that's something that is very important. And you know material goods. If you're trying to lead a spiritual path and I'm not saying you have to be a minimalist, I'm not a minimalist. I love artwork, I have all my mom's paintings up, and so it's about finding that balance you know it's having to buy a ton of clothes to compete, or if it's having to have more stuff to keep up with the neighbors, like, really, look at your stuff. What is that saying about you? And how does that hold up when you look at your spiritual life and what you're trying to do?

Speaker 1: 6:50

Yeah, that's amazing, and you're right about when you let something go, you're opening yourself up for something else. Beautiful to come in. Like you're cleansing that energy and I like how you're putting that, like okay, if you let this go, you can open yourself up. And there's also this emotional component that you've mentioned as well. So you're also an end of life organizer. I'm sure that you've witnessed a lot of emotional journeys while doing that. Can you maybe share an antidote that stands out as a powerful testament to the work that you do?

Speaker 2: 7:23

I would think that well, you want to, specifically on the end of life, whatever you want to share, we are open to hear. I think people sometimes underestimate the power of decluttering and I'm just going to give a couple examples. So this is surprising, but this happened. Early on, I was working with someone and we were in her closet and we're decluttering and she was able to and I believe everyone has the answers within. My job is to simply help them have that come to the surface and in that moment she was able to articulate. I was abused and was able to.

Speaker 2: 8:01

Whatever the act and you know you talked about it so eloquently the energy we shift things when we open and change and release and do all that stuff. I've seen decluttering heal relationships. I had a newlywed couple and they never ate together because their dining room table was full of stuff and I was like I said that's the let's do this. And to have someone write and say, oh my gosh, we're talking again. We're sitting down and eating dinner.

Speaker 2: 8:25

You know I had another client that every time her mother-in-law walked in the house she criticized her and that caused a really, really. You know that was a bad relationship and we got her whole house done. That brought peace. And then I was like but there's another part of this, that my homework is not just the physical stuff. You need to set a boundary with your mother-in-law it's not okay and ask for what you want. You know what I would love to be able to go to the park and read for an hour, can you watch the kids and so seeing it transform relationships or people having those aha moments or being able to say something that perhaps they've been holding back on, it's really powerful.

Speaker 1: 9:05

I love that and I love the fact that something like do you feel like sometimes people are unaware of the amount of clutter they have in their homes?

Speaker 2: 9:14

Absolutely yes.

Speaker 1: 9:16

Like it's interesting, like a newlywed couple like doesn't have enough, like there must be, like what do you feel like is going on? That there's so much clutter that they can't see?

Speaker 2: 9:29

Because I think it's for a lot of people, it's out of mind, out of sight. So if I just stuff it in the closet, I don't have to see it right. Or if I put it in the basement or the attic or garage, those are really hot spots. I don't know what to do with this. I like to call the garage the land of indecision. I don't know what to do with this, so I'm just going to throw it in the garage, right, and so then I've got about 5 million other things to do. Decluttering is really low on the totem pole, and so if we buy and buy and buy and haven't cleared, in 20 years you're going to have a lot of stuff.

Speaker 1: 9:59

You're so right about the garage being the land of indecision. My partner I drive him nuts because I put everything in the garage and he loves a clean garage. So he's always like I gotta go clean the garage. Hey, be grateful, you have him to do it 100,. I am very, very grateful and I appreciate the fact that he allows me the space to put stuff in there and you know what. But you're right up, though, about decluttering, because I've made it my own personal kind of mission. When I feel things are stagnant or things are too heavy, I know that I need to do something physical, and what I do is I'll open up a closet, I'll clean out a drawer, I'll do something where I'm like like we just cleaned out all of our cabinets, our kitchen cabinets, and it's amazing how just that shift of that little bit of action I mean for me it makes me feel lighter, Like I don't feel as heavy with everything's energy.

Speaker 2: 10:56

So when you clear it, change it, you're shifting that Right. If you want to change your life, clear your clutter.

Speaker 1: 11:03

Like as you have in your background. Clutter does not have to own you.

Speaker 2: 11:07

Yes, it doesn't.

Speaker 1: 11:09

I love that so many of our people in our community are interested in manifesting their dream lives. How can the act of decluttering serve as a catalyst for manifestation?

Speaker 2: 11:20

If you I like to use the analogy of a straw right, if you are trying to have your smoothie or whatever you're drinking with your straw and it gets stuck, you know how that sometimes happens and you can't get the smoothie. It's kind of the same way with clutter. Clutter is that not letting you get what you want? Because if you're saying I want to manifest this and you have a stuff closet, well, how can a new outfit come in? Or if you want a relationship and everything hanging around in your house is of your ex, the universe is you're saying hey, I'm good, I got all this stuff. If you want to, you want to switch that. You have to create the space to allow it to happen. If everything's stuff, you're signaling the university hey, I'm good, universe, I'm good, I'm good to go, no thanks.

Speaker 1: 12:06

And do you feel like the universe doesn't know if this is like, if it's negative or positive, the universe is neutral? So it's not going to know if you don't want it and, like you said, if I have 500 pictures of my ex-op and I'm not even that Like if I'm looking at that picture every day there's an energetic component to that.

Speaker 2: 12:24

Yes, yes.

Speaker 1: 12:26

But I think people also probably don't realize it's like that that link, it's like a bubble.

Speaker 2: 12:30

Right, right, and you're not aware of it. And if you haven't received closure, I mean because you have to ask why do you? Why are you looking at that picture every day? You want to create a new relationship. What is it that's going on in the back of your head? And you might be saying, nope, I want, I'm ready, I want a new relationship, but maybe deep down, no, there's something that has to get clear, there's something that has to get settled 100%.

Speaker 1: 12:53

So you're also a certified life coach. How do you integrate those coaching principles into your decluttering services? Do you see a transformative shift in your client's mental state post decluttering?

Speaker 2: 13:05

Oh, absolutely. Well, I would say, obviously, everything's individualized. So what I learned is coaching If you work with me, it's not just about the physical stuff and clearing clutter. We're going to have that conversation because maybe it comes up that your homework this week is going to be say no to what you don't want to do. Right, because when I work with people and that's why, and if I do it online, it's got to be visual, because I want to get all those visual cues you might be like I'm really happy, but your body language is saying absolutely not right, and so it's digging a little deeper.

Speaker 2: 13:37

And as we work and we're clear, how are you feeling? I'm struggling to let this go. Well, let's stop a moment and talk about that. Why is that? What's going on? And so I think it's very important when I give homework, as we look at everything, we look at the whole person, not just the physical stuff. And, as I've mentioned, the inner reflects the outer and vice versa. And as we clear in one area, we're going to support ourselves in clearing other, and I don't think that people realize the mental load that clutter causes.

Speaker 1: 14:06

Well, it's almost like I feel like it's overwhelming when you have something that's super packed with stuff. It's like how do you help a client that has this massive amount to declutter? What is the first step that you give to them?

Speaker 2: 14:24

Well, we start in one area, and so I would say what I usually tell people is what's driving you nuts? Do you have a deadline? You mentioned kitchen cabinets. Are you having your kitchen remodel? Well, let's declutter before they come over to remodel. If you aren't paying your bills and your mortgage is late, then maybe we need to start in the office. So ask yourself a couple of those questions, and then that can determine where you start. And then you say, okay, I'm going to start my office. I'm going to say, okay, then we're going to start with the bookcase. Right, we're going to break everything down into manageable steps, because you hit on something that's really important. Most people have a lot of clutter, overwhelmed. They're simply paralyzed and can't move, and so it's like, okay, then we're going to break it down into manageable steps. 10 minutes a day equals just over 60 hours in a year. You can do a lot in 60 hours.

Speaker 1: 15:11

That's a really good piece of advice. Like just bite-sized pieces, you know, and maybe not look at the entire picture. Maybe just look at. I like how you just said that. Look at the bookcase, you know, and then move on to the next step, and then you're walking them through the journey too, which is amazing.

Speaker 2: 15:29

Yes, well, your book case looks quite lovely, so good job.

Speaker 1: 15:35

Thank you. I have a sister who is actually a professional designer and, as she says, this is my set. She's like you know. This one means to go here. No, no, right. So I'm not allowed to move anything.

Speaker 2: 15:51

Oh, I understand that, and now I'm like can?

Speaker 1: 15:54

we do a refresh? Can we do a reset?

Speaker 2: 15:58

That's good. You should change it up. We've just been talking about the energy and say, yeah, I had this interview. We got to change it up.

Speaker 1: 16:04

I really like. I kind of like can we switch the pictures? These are actually my um, my mom did these, so I love them and that's they mean a lot to me, but I have more, I can change them out. She's like how you said, you like your mom's artwork, I have mine up as well and I love that. Good job, thank you. So let's talk about challenges. Um, maybe what is one difficult part of your job and how do you navigate the emotional or spiritual huddles that come with it?

Speaker 2: 16:30

I'll tell you, the most challenging thing for me has been when family members get involved. Now, I'm not talking about a couple and I'm talking about one particular thing that's coming to mind is I helped a lovely neighbor. Uh, she had to go into assisted living and the one, the son who hired me, was great but had a grand kid who just wanted everything and it caused, I mean, it was just a nightmare and I was like your grandmother hired me. I work for your grandmother and I work for your uncle, and so I had to lay down some pretty strict boundaries there. And, you know, someone in this kid was really spoiled, and I'm, you know, and what I tell my clients is have them get angry at me because I can handle it.

Speaker 2: 17:13

And so I think for me the most challenging thing is when family members who are let me rephrase that when family members who aren't helpful, get involved and make the process worse. You know, especially in this situation, moving to assisted living, there's a lot of emotion. You know, if you live in this house, you have to downsize, there's no choice. And so to add that to it was just, was really frustrating, and I felt for my client, but I'm like my job is to protect her, and that's what I did.

Speaker 1: 17:42

No, that's really good and you're right about when you make such a significant change of your independent in your home to moving into assisted living, where a lot of your freedom is not going to be the same anymore, and that is, I think, as elderly people and you probably experienced this a lot we don't.

Speaker 1: 17:59

We don't acknowledge what the challenge is of when you lose your freedom as an elderly person is a very it's like one of the most stressful events in someone's life and it's like and I would imagine you deal with that a lot.

Speaker 2: 18:13

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 18:13

Yeah, that's a tough transition.

Speaker 2: 18:15

And so I would also say to everyone listening you know whether you hire someone or have a friend, and because before I start my business they're like you're really uptight, come help me organize, because I need help and so you want to make sure that person isn't judgmental. Probably one of the things that breaks my heart the most is working with someone. Yeah, I started, but then this person judged me and so I've stopped for years because they don't think people really realize how their comments or size or eye rolling can really affect someone and stop their progress.

Speaker 1: 18:46

That's a really good point too. So I know that you have a very popular podcast Clear your Clutter Inside and Out. Can you please tell us a little bit about that?

Speaker 2: 18:55

Sure. So we're talking about clutter and I cover all areas holiday, relationships, health. We get into it and at the end I like to talk about anecdotes and I give you take action items so that you can get started. That's super important to me. I want you to leave with things that you can do to change your life and wherever it's also on video and wherever you listen, you can find it.

Speaker 1: 19:17

And then is it on, like, like you said, it's on all like Apple Spotify.

Speaker 2: 19:21

Do you?

Speaker 1: 19:21

also have a YouTube channel. Yes, and what's your YouTube channel?

Speaker 2: 19:26

It's Reawaken your Brilliance with Julie Caraccio. My website's ReawakenYourBrilliance and I've got all the links there. And I'm going to be putting up some more material. Well, by the time this airs, we'll have more material. I've got COVID, so I'm a little behind.

Speaker 1: 19:40

It's okay, you're alone. So, as I know that you have some books, classes and affirmations to share, what resources can our audience explore to deepen their journey with you?

Speaker 2: 19:52

So I have based on the podcast Clear your Clutter Inside and Out, where I've 21 chapters, the bonuses on energy. So if you've enjoyed that talk, you might like it. But it's on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual clutter and it goes in more depth than gives. You take action items at the end, and then I have a whole journal prompt series where, like on holiday, health and as I mentioned before, you have the answers within. So this is going to guide you, to ask you questions and then come up with a plan to move forward. And then I also have a book on 21 Days to Jump Start Clearing your Clutter.

Speaker 2: 20:24

If you're like, hey, I don't know where to start, this is a really good place and the affirmations nine different ones that are going to support you in the cluttering, and then classes as well. Everything's broken into bite-size steps for the classes. So if you're like, ok, I can do a lesson once a week or once a day, then you don't have to. They're like five, six minutes, maybe a little longer in some cases, but it's really to give you that momentum. Ok, here's where I'm going to start and I have my first step.

Speaker 1: 20:52

That is amazing, and those are all located on your website.

Speaker 2: 20:55

Mm-hmm. Reawakenyourbrilliancecom. They can all that good stuff.

Speaker 1: 20:58

That's amazing. So, given your wide range of expertise, what else is on the horizon for you, any upcoming projects or collaborations that you're excited about?

Speaker 2: 21:08

A book on end of life organizing and then a journal prompt on end of life. So that is the big thing that I'm working on, and the other thing that I get super excited about that I've been doing is doing more public speaking employee, which thrills me. That corporations have moved from let's organize our desk to let's declutter our life and let's talk about bigger issues, that gets me really excited. I love that.

Speaker 1: 21:33

Now for anybody that wants to work with you. That is also located on your website. Absolutely yes.

Speaker 2: 21:38

And I offer a free 15-minute consultation to see if we're a good fit and I can support you and it doesn't matter.

Speaker 1: 21:44

So I know that you said earlier that they have to go on video so you can do this remotely.

Speaker 2: 21:49

Oh yeah, I work with people all over the world. Absolutely that is amazing.

Speaker 1: 21:53

Well, julie, I want to thank you so, so much for coming to the Spiritual Spotlight Series. I'm really looking forward to reading some of your upcoming books and I hope you feel better. Thank you so much.

Speaker 2: 22:03

You're a wonderful interviewer and I really appreciate this. Thank you.