In the process of settling in I was putting my hands on things that I knew were no longer useful to me. Over a couple months I sold a couple things, made judicious use of FreeCycle in giving away still-viable (just not to me) items, and I donated dozens of books and videos to my local library, giving away those the library couldn’t take.
Over the past four years I have given away even more items; countless CDs, videos, books, clothing, sewing and crafting supplies, costumes, wigs, accessories, props … So many things I’d stock-piled from doing theatre; so many collectibles I used to treasure. After every wave of clearing, I could feel the flow of energy in my immediate space shift; brighten.
About a year ago I gave myself a rule to live by in regards to things: If I bring something in, then something must go out. That self-imposed rule gives me pause when I have a hankering to buy or accept anything that will take up space in my home. That same rule has also served to make me more mindful of clutter and the value I can sometimes put on things that bring no quality to my life.
Now, I can feel another wave of releasing coming on and I’m mildly amused as I occasionally contemplate, “What next?” What will I be letting go of next? And am I on my way to being a minimalist? hmmm … Food for thought and another post!
So, I wonder, how do you feel about things?
- Do you have prized collections taking up space in your home?
- Are they beloved, or are they just there because you can’t bear to part with them?
- Do you get hung up on things you’ve been given, even if they serve no purpose and bring you no joy?
- Are you spending extra money each month on a storage unit to hold the overflow of things?
Weigh in on what things may be weighing you down.
I'm actually very good at this – in fact, I've been called "ruthless" by people who aren't so good at it.My issue right now is OTHER people's stuff. I live with two teenage girls – I'll let your imagination fill in the rest. As a result, I've been clearing out more and more of MY things. My only worry comes with paperwork – I'm never sure if I should keep certain statements or receipts, and I need to bring the things I CAN throw out into work so I can shred them before relegating them to the recycle pile.
I like that! I'm fortunate not to have to deal with other people's stuff in addition to my own; it would be a definite bone of contention. My bank statements are all in PDF form online and all my bills have been changed to e-billing years ago; far less paperwork to file/save and far less stuff in my mailbox. What about scanning receipts to your computer so you don't have to hold onto the paper bits? For financials, isn't seven years a general rule of thumb? Not so sure.