As I write this column, I’m about a thousand feet above sea level together with some Tan Yan Kee Foundation executives on board one of the helicopters of Dr. Lucio Tan. On that day, Chairman Lucio Tan signed a memoradum of agreement (MOA) with Department of Environment and Natural Resources to continue the reforestation project in a supposed “badlands” in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, aptly called as “Legacy Forest”. A project of such magnitude (935,000 seedlings in 900 hectares) would definitely brighten the day of Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez after her appointment was bypassed by the Commission of Appointments.
While I was flying over Metro Manila, I could hardly notice the poverty within the urban jungle, hear the unwanted noise of busy streets, smell the stink of uncollected garbage and feel the traffic gridlock in the metropolis. I believe that any place in this world, when viewed from above, is almost
always clean, pristine and immaculate. I believe that seeing things in a different perspective gives us a reassuring effect that, everything, amid all the chaos, will turn out fine. In our lives, we can do the same if we can only remove the clutter that bothers our vision. Flying high over Manila that Sunday morning made me appreciate the beauty of the city.
In her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up, author Marie Kondo offered basic philosophies in storing and discarding things. She said that, if a thing, whether a piece of clothing, a book, a gadget, or even a memento, does not spark joy, discard it. After all, memories are best kept in the heart and not in souvenir items. According to her KonMari method, if there is a thing, even if new, but is not a need, “plant a seed” she says, as in giving it to others. But essentially, she says tidying up things translates to tidying our lives. The principles of her KonMari method appear to be the precursor of the more popular 5S method, which in Japanese, stands for Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke.
In some organizations, the 5S program was adopted to get rid of the clutter in the workplace. In Philippine Airlines (PAL), we believe that Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain are key drivers for enhanced efficiency in the workplace. Some of my colleagues, both in PAL and Bureau of Immigration, were quite pessimistic about the notion of cleaning their respective cubicles inasmuch as, according to them, they have other “better” things to do. What they do not realize is that 5S has this underlying objective of giving us a focused perspective at work. No clutter gives us more focus. More focus leads to greater efficiency.
During the MOA signing ceremonies in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, Environment Undersecretary Marlo Mendoza said fire is the most destructive agent in any forest and is inevitable in any reforestation project, particularly in Caranglan, of all places in the Philippines. He said we just have to control these fires with daily patrols, guards posted in strategic
watch towers, “jet shooter” experts to use highly pressurized yet portable water hoses, among other fire-control measures. In our lives, “fires”, whether by design as when we intentionally dispose of garbage or by inadvertence as when my parents’ house was ravaged by fire two years ago, remove the unnecessary things in life that blur our vision. However, once this garbage or clutter is removed, we gradually learn to appreciate the more important things around us.
Doctor Tessa is one KonMari advocate. In her house, you see her minimalist tendencies in her furniture. Her wardrobe collection is most likely less than half of what most women would have in their closets. Over New Year’s break, she and a friend, coincidentally Japanese, went on a “tidying marathon”, where half of the contents of her pantry ended up being given to others. She has given away her unused clothes, still with price tags, to others. Her intentional use of “fires” to keep things less has allowed her to focus on the simple yet most important thing in life—“food”. And when I say food, I mean the bread of life—our material and relational needs here on Earth. Challenged with a special needs child, this working mother has removed most of her clutter, physically through her tidying marathons and spiritually by studying the Word as she reflects on her future, never her past. Activities, such as yoga, scuba diving and golf, also help remove the clutter in her mind. She has learned to let go of things beyond her control by simply saying, it has been done. She is learning to see the positive side of things by saying, it could have been worse.
With less distractions in life, we can always experience the better view from above as I did over Nueva Ecija on that one fine Sunday. We can focus on real “food”, realizing that having less clutter means more joy at work and in our homes. Whether you call it 5S or KonMari method or Dr. Tessa’s Tidy Style, less clutter is not just about improved efficiency; it is also about enriched spirituality.