Now that the distracting election is over, you can finally shift your focus back to your “house business” and all that it encompasses, including your environment and the atmosphere it’s creating. As a lifestyle writer, it’s always important for me to bring the focus of living and intent back to the home. We have no control over supersized Frankenstorms, but we’ll always have control over our homes. If you’re blessed enough to have a roof over your head in these changeable economic times, I offer you a distinctive spin on how to reimagine your surroundings.

This is not about buying into an MTV Cribs lifestyle with shoddy credit. It’s about living intentionally and owning the raw truth that your living space is a reflection of you. Whether you live in the proverbial cardboard box or a gated community, living intentionally produces greater possibilities for the life results that you want.

How many times do you clean up your place to impress others but never for yourself? How many times does your closet get mistreated as you hide hide hide? To get intentional about your surroundings, first realize that there is a rewarding payoff; otherwise you won’t be motivated to evolve, and this will be just another drone of a recycled lifestyle article.

So what’s in it for you? Feeling alive, feeling authentic, having peace of mind, and severing your bond with the “destined to suffer” gods. When you’re intentional, you leave little room for random acts of haphazardness to enter your life, and you send a strong and powerful message to the Universe that you won’t settle for victimhood.

Here are five living space philosophies that’ll shift your awareness:

1.     Live with intention. Your home is your castle, your headquarters, your Batcave—act accordingly.

2.     If you don’t love it, toss or donate. Ruthless editing is the name of the game.

3.     Apply the 80/20 rule. Living spaces aren’t about 100% perfection as much as they’re about being a true reflection of you.

4.     Know when a dead thing is a dead thing. Stop holding onto clutter, junk and items that serve zero purpose in your life. Clutter and junk are not protection.

5.     Don’t overthink. Trust your intuition on what stays and what goes. The mantra should be: “quality or quantity.” Minimalist will not equal boring.

Respect for yourself and your surroundings is one of the highest forms of love you can give. Without intention, you’re making a silent agreement to live an uncooperative life, which can turn out to become one giant ball of sadness. Intent is your mirror; use it and the reflection will be beautiful.

Melinda Lewis is a Harlem-based writer, public speaker, and founder of the lifestyle blog, GetTogetha.com. Follow her on Twitter at @gettogetha.