You hold the directions for your dreams.
Welcome to part two of my Authentic Happiness Series. If you missed part one, be sure to read it here.
Home is Where the Heart Is
photo credit: Roger Smith
Today’s exercise is going to focus on your ideal home environment. If you had a magic wand what would your home look like? Can you visualize your living space within your ideal lifestyle? Assume money is not an issue and don’t worry about how you are going to create this home environment. Just have fun and build your ideal home.
I give you permission to imagine the details of your dream house.
photo credit: Wolfgang Staudt
Some Home Environment Questions to Ponder
- Where would you live geographically?
- Would you live in the city, in a suburb, in the country?
- Would you have a house or live in a multi-unit building?
- Would you want to live by water? A creek? A river? A lake? An ocean?
- Would community be important?
- Would you want neighbors? What kind of neighbors would you want?
- What would the climate be?
- What would your bedroom look like?
- What kind of lighting, artwork, flowers, and smells would be in your house?
- What would your yard look like?
- How is your house organized?
- Do you have someone else cleaning your house?
- Do you have someone doing your grocery shopping?
- Who washes the dishes and washes the clothes?
- What car do you drive?
- Do you have a garage?
- Would having a green home be important to you?
- How would your home be Earth-friendly?
- Would you have a garden?
Home Environment Resources
If you have blogged about creating your dream home environment or can recommend must-read home environment resources, share links with me in the comments section (or via email) and I will add your resources to this list with some link love.
- House Beautiful 500 Sensational Ways to Create Your Ideal Home
- Home Sanctuary
- My Ideal Home Has Cupcakes
- Cool House Plans
- Feng Shui – The Art of Placement
- Dream House Style Quiz
Get Going…
I believe you have the natural inner wisdom to create your ideal living space. It may not be perfect, but it will be uniquely and authentically yours.
Remember, after we dream big and explore a few more components of your ideal lifestyle, I will be encouraging you to determine what is central to who you are and who you want to be. I will also be encouraging you to identify action steps towards a lifestyle that will be filled with authentic happiness.
photo credit: spitfirelas
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These are excellent questions to ponder Stacey. Searching for our personal answers is really an exercise in self-awareness and expression. So much of who we are is expressed in, and influenced by, our immediate surroundings. Given the chance, we all seek ways to give form and function to our inner sense of self. In so many ways, home truly is where the heart is.
Jonathan – Advanced Life Skills´s last blog post..There is No Overnight Success
Stacey,
Thinking about our ideal home environment makes so much sense because we spend most of our free time there, and it’s totally within our control how we set it up. I have a scrapbook of pictures of homes I like and every time I take it out, I tweak my home a little more. Over time, it becomes a joy to come home. And you’ve just reminded me to start doing this again!
Daphne´s last blog post..How To Find Happiness That Lasts
Jonathan – As a life coach, I want to support my readers as thy explore self-awareness and self-expression.
Daphne – Exactly. When my home is organized I am also organized. Incorporating pieces of my dream home into my current home brings me a sense of peace.
Hi Stacey – it’s great to work through these questions! I’ve done a lot of soul searching in the past, thinking about what my ideal home and lifestyle would be, and it is interesting how much my life, and the place we are in now, is like my “pictures”. Now we just need to get the insulation and air conditioning organised…
Robin´s last blog post..What If? The Movie, A Review
Since we spend so much time in our homes, it is important to have that environment uncluttered and promote peace. I know I can not always get to organizing and cleaning and it always weighs on the back of my mind. When your working space, or your home, is cluttered, our minds are cluttered and this makes it difficult to reach authentic happiness! As always, like your posts!
Julie M´s last blog post..How People You’ve Never Met Can Influence You
I like this idea!!! My inner space would have huge windows or doors that allow me to look outside or open them to feel the outside. It would be homey (not modern), but not cluttered. I would have tons of photographs everywhere, each in it’s own unique frame and lots of special things I’ve found along my way through life. I would also include items that remind me of my spirituality around the house. It would be a place I can come home and always feel welcomed.
This is fun, Stacey:~)
Sara´s last blog post..An Exercise to Practice Positive Thinking
Hi Stacey,
I tell you what, let me until Sunday to figure it out, and I will come up with a description of some sort. 🙂
Miguel de Luis´s last blog post..Thursday Haiku: Circle of spears
Today, I did some organizing and it felt great.
Non- clutter would be my greatest ideal. I like that lady’s mobile log home but more space would be more necessary for me.
Jannie Funster´s last blog post..Technical woes
Robin – I’m glad you are enjoying the questions and I’m thrilled that your dream house and your current house are almost one and the same.
Julie – I agree. A peaceful home equals a peaceful Stacey.
Sara – My dream space would also have huge windows and be surrounded by nature. Enjoy the fun.
Miguel – Enjoy dreaming big.
Jannie – I sometimes wonder if I have clutter just so I can feel great after I clean it up.
I’m with Jannie on this one. Airy, filled with light, and no clutter whatsoever would be my ideal.
Vered – MomGrind´s last blog post..Teen Fashion
These are really great questions to consider for planning your home or at least what you want. I will print the questions up and work on it tonight.
Carla´s last blog post..Green and Chic Products: Skinny Skinny
Vered – Sounds wonderful!
Carla – Have fun with the process.
I love posts that make you think and allow you to visualize those things that can bring contentment. What could be more important that an enjoyable and uplifting living space?
The fact that we each differ in regard to our geographical and decorative tastes shows that our living environment impacts the way we think and feel. Personally, I love visiting large cities but could never imagine living in such comotion. I’m sure others view large cities as invigorating.
This post will stick with me as we plan our upcoming move…Thanks
Jake | Revive Your Life´s last blog post..Wellness and The Bucket Theory
Hi Stacey – I’ve been thinking a lot about what I would like my dream house to be like. I’m struggling to decide what country to emigrate to, so I figured imagining my dream house would be a good guide.
I know I would like more space and plenty of light and also more space outdoors. An outdoor swimming pool would be nice too.
I’m going to use your questions to help me get a clearer picture of what it’s going to look like. Thanks.
Stacey,
It’s wonderful how you are helping people direct their conscious attention on the beautiful things they want to see in their lives. Thank you for that.
This is a wonderful post! This year I am focusing on the yard and garden. This has inspired me to start doing some major planning (not just planting a few plants here and there) so my yard can be the oasis I know it can be!
Angie Goodloe´s last blog post..finding the time for yourself and your dreams~ all while being a great mom!
Jake – We are also planning for an upcoming move so these questions are running around in my head. I keep thinking “if not now, when”.
Cath – Have fun dreaming. I love the idea of living near more outdoor space.
Sunny – Thank you for joining the conversation!
Angie – I’m looking forward to the day when I have a true garden. Like I said to Jake, lately I have been thinking “if not now, when”.
Stacey,
I was directed to your blog from a comment you just left at AuthenticMama. Your blog is incredible and states, in a creative way, what so many people should embrace… happiness is truly a choice in life that is inside everyone of us.
Thanks for the wonderful posts…
Darren
Darren Sproat´s last blog post..Self Esteem – Take a look in the mirror!
Darren – Welcome to the Create a Balance experience. Your energy and passion for happiness shines through your comment.
Hi Stacey,
Well…I love the video you shared! Makes me realize I have way more in my house that I not only need, but also want. So, in that vein – my ideal house would be simplified. And less stuff accumulated. In the country, maybe near a lake, with a mountain in the background. And some nice wooded area in the backyard. Lots of sunshine streaming in big windows… And all of it really filled with a sense of “home”.
Thanks for this Stacey…
Lance´s last blog post..Sunday Thought For The Day
I love my home as it is – we are close to shopping, highways, family, restaurants, work, the beach and hiking. Are there things I’d change? Yes, I’d like a bigger kitchen, larger bathroom, and huge windows with a view of the ocean. My living room would be very similar to that picture you have above with folks on lounge chairs overlooking the ocean. 🙂
That said, we live only 15 minutes from the beach and I go there often to get my “fix”. As for my kitchen and bath…It’s a nice to have, not a need to have. We have plenty of space for 2 of us.
I would like less stuff in my house. I try to simplify, my husband likes stuff…I’m the one who has to dust and clean….hmmmm…
Stacey Shipman´s last blog post..Staying Fit While You Travel
Stacey Shipman – It’s great that your ideal home is very close to your current home. I live 15 minutes from Lake Michigan and the beach where I can get my fix during warm weather too.
Hi Stacey, some of our time are spent in the home and our home has to make us comfortable.
Thank you for the list, it inspired me about what need to be taken care of.
Arswino´s last blog post..Success is The Path You Choosed
Arswino – Thanks for letting me know that you are finding this list useful. It has been very helpful for me during my own house hunting journey.
I think you nailed it with home is where the heart is.
I remember when I was a kid not knowing whether I wanted a castle, a mansion, or a Bat cave (Batman made it look compelling) … or even just an RV (like Escape to Witch Mountain).
Eventually I learned it was nothing about the house and more about the experiences and neighborhood.
J.D. Meier´s last blog post..High Leverage Strategies for Innovation
I live in my dream house right now and we have been working on it for 32 years – it is in a great neighborhood and we keep making it more energy efficient. Several members of our church live in people’s backyards in the houses like on the video. We have belonged to a Voluntary Simplicity group for 30 years. I even have the lifestyle I love, I do wish since I have been ill that someone could come in and clean – deep clean as after 3 months of not being able to get around it is bothering me now – infringing on my peace of mind
Patricia´s last blog post..A Prayer in Spring
J.D. – Thanks for adding a new perspective to the conversation.
Patricia – It’s great to know that you are living in your dream home, dream neighborhood, and dream community right now. I certainly am not living in my dream home right now. I love the idea of joining a Simplicity Group…I wonder if one exists in my area.
Stacey,
Simplicity groups are easy to form – there is a company, now, that puts out a packet, but my partner and I just decided to form our own group 32 years ago when we got married. We invited 8 couples and we all read a classic book called Voluntary Simplicity, Ecotopia by Callenbach, and Small is Beautiful. We got together every month for a pot luck supper, each couple took charge of the evenings discussion. An accountant and economist came to help us learn about money management and we had the garbage folks come to share about their exciting new recycling program. Now we get together every other month for our potluck each issue of YES! magazine to discuss. We are down to 4 couples, and are thinking about adding some more folks.
It is very exciting to learn something new and try it on…Several of the couples car share and we all share lawnmowers and tools and expertise.
It also helped me create a “family” for my kids to feel a part of since my family all lives in Eastern Canada and Australia. It was helpful too that the group formed out of our church community which gave us all more connections.
My 75 year old friend just joined a VS group that was started at the senior center…they play cards and share ideas that they are learning! It is so fun.
Patricia´s last blog post..Dissonant Chord
Thanks for the links to the home decoration sites… I would love to do something more relaxing and beautiful with the decor. And the photo from Starkville, MS… is that real? I lived in Mississippi for 19 years, and never saw a place like that there.
~ Kristi
Kikolani´s last blog post..Discover More About Yourself Through Blogging
Patricia – Thanks for the details. I’m going to look into this!
Kristi – Thanks for commenting. I’d love to know how you incorporate relaxation into your decor. That sounds priceless.
Stacey – I love this series. What a great idea. It’s ironic, isn’t it, that we need to be prompted to think about these things. Thanks for the prompt!
Hip Mom’s Guide´s last blog post..Ten Years Later
Hip Mom’s Guide – There is so much running through our heads…that is why we create tools (and hire life coaches) to remind us of what is important.