The Power of Space and its Ability to ‘Spark Joy’
Yesterday, Kristine and I pulled up to an AirBNB, and we immediately remarked to one another that we felt at home — and I thought to myself…’Why is that?’
It made me consider the simple question of why spaces seem to have so much subconscious power. How is it that a home which is totally unfamiliar can immediately put us at ease, while at other times a space can make us feel uneasy or uncomfortable?
Reflecting on this, I considered another recent trip to be a perfect example of the opposite effect, where through the entire duration of our stay we felt a bit unhappy and off about our living situation. There was nothing wrong with the home, but it didn’t feel like our home and we were happy to leave it when the trip came to the conclusion.
As I thought about the two situations, side by side, I thought of about a little book I read a few months ago, entitled ‘Spark Joy’ by Marie Kondo, a companion to her well-known work ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’.
The book is eponymously named after her belief that each item in a home is imbued with the ability to ‘spark joy’, and I find this to be a very helpful defining difference between the two respective homes I stayed in. Our current space brings us plenty of joy, while the previous one brought almost none at all.
Kondo concludes her book with a brief rumination on just why this is, having this to say:
Recently, an expression that keeps coming to mind as I work with my clients is mono no aware . This Japanese term, which literally means “pathos of things,” describes the deep emotion that is evoked when we are touched by nature, art, or the lives of others with an awareness of their transience. It also refers to the essence of things and our ability to feel that essence. As my clients proceed through the tidying process, I sense a change in the words they say, and in their facial expressions, as if they are sharpening their ability to feel mono no aware.
One of my clients, for example, gazed at a bicycle she had cherished and used for years, and then said, “You know, this bike, I just realized that she’s been like my partner in life.”
Another client told me with a smile, “Even my cooking chopsticks seem incredibly dear to me now.” It is not only their feelings for material possessions that change. They are also able to slow down and physically savor the changing of the seasons, and they become much kinder to themselves and their families.
I believe that when we put our things in order and strengthen our bonds with what we own, we get back in touch with that delicate sensitivity to mono no aware . We rediscover our innate capacity to cherish the things in our lives and regain the awareness that our relationship with the material world is one of mutual support.
An interesting consideration. There’s no doubt that the power of space is very real.
