The Spiritual Art of Being Organized (Paperback)

by Claire Josefine (Author) "When I was a teenager, my mother would inevitably get mad at me for some perceived idiocy..." (more)
Key Phrases: Ein Sof, Voluntary Simplicity, Aunt Mabel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A delightful, easy-to-read book with the best advice ever: organization is about being lazy, ... making our lives easier." -- Janet Luhrs, author of The Simple Living Guide

"A wonderful contribution to the growing literature on the art and pleasure of simple living." -- Vicki Robin, author of Your Money or Your Life

"This book is a meditation on serenity. More than a how-to book, it's a how-to-be book." -- Jeri Hayes, editor

Claire Josefine advocates a simpler and lighter life. Her book, The Spiritual Art of Being Organized, is filled with imagination and joy, and engages disorganization not as a moral issue, but as a spiritual one. --Judith Kohlberg, founder of NSGCD

Claire Josefine brings fresh ideas to the topic in a very enjoyable read. -- Beth Skala's newsletter, Lian Gong

Claire Josefine's "spiritual art" of being organized is well-presented in this fascinating book... truly the answer to a heartfelt prayer. -- The Boox-Review.com

Plenty [has been] written about organization and simplifying your life ... I like and recommend The Spiritual Art of Being Organized. -- The Lark Letter: A Woman's Guide to Optimal Health & Balance

This little gem will give you a kick start to a more abundant lifestyle and adopting an attitude of gratitude! -- Eagleye.com

[This book] does for personal organization what Lynne Truss' Eats, Shoots and Leaves has done for punctuation and grammar. -- The Arcata Eye

Product Description
Organizing as a spiritual art?

Yes. After all, being organized is a spiritual process. Chaos is conquered as much by awareness, gratitude, grounding, and breath as by a well-labeled filing system. Simplicity and order are valid -- even crucial -- choices. And they are found within.

Organizing can also be creative and fun. Peppered with poetry, snippets of song lyrics, inspirational quotes, and wisdom from the ages, The Spiritual Art of Being Organized is a unique and enjoyable book on organizing. While most organizing authors tell you how to organize your kitchen or your files, Claire teaches you the 12 Basic Principles -- practical and spiritual -- that embody every organizing tip you've ever heard. By learning the "why" instead of just the "how," you can easily organize anything, anytime, anywhere.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Winter's Daughter Press; 1st edition (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974737240
• ISBN-13: 978-0974737249
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #590,492 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Joy to Read, August 26, 2004

By	E. Hardesty - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I once read a columnist who said her goal was to write columns that
felt like you were getting a letter from a good friend. That's the
way this book is. Its lovely cover feels personal rather than mass
produced -- a nice contrast from the bright, glossy covers of most
"How To" books. And its personal anecdotes, spiritual insight, and
simple suggestions make it both easy to read and easy to implement.
I've read other books that help you organize your life, but this one
was by far the most enjoyable.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone who feels overwhelmed with life's chaos , May 7, 2005

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

In The Spiritual Art Of Being Organized, Claire Josefine reveals that having and living a successfully organized life necessitates a foundation of spiritual underpinnings. Josefine emphasizes the necessity for a conscious approach to organizing our daily lives with an emphasis on living simply. Of special note are the "12 Basic Principles of Organizing". Offering a text laced with humor, poetry, quotes, and non-judgemental advice to understanding our clutter, The Spiritual Art Of Being Organized is welcome and highly recommended reading for anyone who feels overwhelmed with life's chaos and persistent disorder despite all of their previous attempts at trying to set up organizing systems without first modifying their own beliefs and behaviors in order to use those applied systems to clean up and clean out the debrie of their lives. Easy, accessible, inspired and inspiring reading!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than a material guide..., March 5, 2006

By	Laura J. Walker "Fantasy Librarian" (Humboldt County, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was very helpful to me because rather than addressing merely the do's and don'ts of household organizing, it deals with the underlying attitudes that cause chaos in the first place. Have you ever seen the supposedly humourous placard hung in a disaster of a home, declaring that "A clean house is the sign of a sick mind?" Claire Josefine's book shows how the opposite is true, without making any such judgments about the psychology of slobs, of course. She only points out that if we are not fearful of letting go, or afraid of having it all together and getting on with our lives, we can eliminate clutter and disabling excuses based on confusion. A tidy home, or desk, or time schedule, is actually the sign of a healthy mind.
Claire's book doesn't dwell exclusively on these spiritual or psychological factors, however; she also gives us the tools to pare down, simplify, order, and prioritize effectively. The book is about half of each: self-help attitudinal assistance, and hands-on training for practical application.
All in all, an extremely helpful book. It would make a lovely gift for somebody who seems overwhelmed by the logistics of life. And the beautiful cover makes the volume itself welcome on any coffee table--part of your newly appealing decor!