Super mom by day, super wife by night, and invisible all of the time.

This is what happens when you retire the Superhero cape, remove the masks, and begin the journey of, "Who am I? How did I get here? And how long will it take to pick up all of the broken little pieces of my life?"

Our guest today is Kizmat Tention.

Kizmat is a life coach and author who has been making big waves with her new book, Broken Little Pieces: Invisible.

Since then, she's been touring and speaking about her work and sharing her very powerful message of finding your authentic self. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children.

In this episode, you'll enjoy:

You'll hear how Kizmat began to recognize that she had been given, and had taken on, identities, roles and masks throughout her life that had keep her from her true self.

How masks are passed along to us and how they can damage not only our true selves, but also our relationships and those around us.

The role that birth order can play in our development. Kizmat talks about her "middle child" position and Karin shares an "oldest child" memory!

Here's a good article on birth order theory:
How Birth Order Affects Your Child's Personality and Behavior

Learn how to begin moving away from our masks and our toxic identities AND how this fits in with the KonMari Method.

How clutter reflects our emotional space. Kizmat talks about the "revolving door of emotion" within our homes, going back and forth from obsess orderliness and giving up on it all.

To connect with Kizmat,you can visit www.brokenlittlepieces.com and follow her on FB at Broken Little Pieces: Broken Little Pieces on Facebook,or on twitter @kizzymat on Instagram at Kizmat Tention.
Her book, Broken Little Pieces: Invisible, can be purchased here: Broken Little Pieces: Invisible on Amazon

Spark Joy wants to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com, email us at contact@sparkjoypodcast.com to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week's show. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter via @sparkjoypodcast.

What sparks joy for Kizmat:
"When people are brave."
She loves inspiring others to be a light in the world via her FaceBook group and her online community.

Kizmat's final words of wisdom:
"Don't be afraid to go and create your own lane."

Gems:
"It's a journey to take all of the pieces to create the mosaic of your life's mural."

"Marriage multiples what is already there."

"How long have I felt invisible?"

"Regret and perfectionism are companions. We fear having regrets, thus propelling our mindset into the ways of perfectionism."

"What am I holding onto and why? What reward are you getting from it?"

"Change the dialogue of failure."

"You see their glory, but you don't see their story."

"Inspire someone daily."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Kizmat Tention.

Today’s guest is Alex Erickson. Alex is a personal fitness trainer in the process of completing his KonMari consultant certification. Prior to this, he was a professional model.

Alex and his husband, Edgar, decided to tidy their new home together using the KonMari Method after their recent wedding.

Alex enlisted Karin to help him with the KonMari process in their Brooklyn home (they've recently moved to Manhattan). Not only did he do an amazing job with the process and was delightful to work with, he was so inspired by the KonMari Method, that he decided to pursue becoming a consultant on his own. He recently completed the KonMari consultant training seminar last October and is now working on his practice sessions towards certification.

In this episode, follow Alex along his journey toward tidying his home with his husband, Edgar, as they learn about themselves and each other. He'll also share how he decided to become a consultant and what he has experienced with his first clients on the way to certification!

To connect with Alex, you can find him on his new Instagram @hotmessorganizers.
His email address is: alexandererickson@yahoo.com
His new KonMari Consulting business is called Hot Mess Organizing. Website coming soon!

Spark Joy wants to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com, email us at contact@sparkjoypodcast.com to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter via @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• How Alex decided he was ready for the KonMari Method and why he decided to hire a KonMari Consultant

• How Alex got his husband on board and how they faced their fears and challenges together.

• How Alex used Marie Kondo’s quote,“The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.", to help motivate him to move forward with the process.
  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

• How Alex used a Big Box to help with the sorting process. It really worked!
  Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up

• How this quote helped Alex decide to become a KonMari Consultant himself: “The true goal should be to establish the lifestyle you want most once your house has been put in order.”
  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Alex’s Favorite Tidying Tips:
Designate a temporary area for things that need to be sorted as you are working through the process.
Keep in mind that any item in any category can feel sentimental, so save them for last.

What sparks joy for Alex:
Our big Chinese Good Luck cat!
But, most importantly, my husband, Edgar!

Gems:
“As long as you have a somewhat open mind, you will be perfect for the KonMari method.”

“You’re getting rid of a safety blanket. I had to let go of a lot of false security.”

“It forced me to hold myself accountable for my own actions. I can make sure that my own items are tidy.”

“When you face the clutter in your house, you are facing yourself.”

“I did a fearless inventory of the material items I possessed.”

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Alex Erickson.