You Have Too Much Stuff
With a new move on the horizon, I have been thinking a lot about “out with the old, in with the new.” Lately, there has been a lot of cleaning out and clearing out in my life. Doing away with belongings that no longer serve me that have instead been cluttering my space and energy.
By allowing this release and letting go of “stuff”, we are able to welcome in energy that serves us and create space for what is next.
I keep realizing how much of a benefit it has been for me to move so much throughout my twenties because with each move, I must eliminate and simplify. It becomes a spiritual purge for me, being able to detach myself from old items, mementos, clothing, etc. There’s something extremely liberating when you can look at an item that once held sentimental value – perhaps a card that someone gave to you five years ago or a sweater you had bought for a special day a long while back – and to be able to detach yourself from that. To acknowledge the memories… and then release.
Believe me, having unexpectedly lost my mom three years ago, I was finding every reason to hang on to certain things. “But I bought these boots when I was with Mom.” “But Mom was still alive when I got this scarf.” So, I’d keep those items hidden away, never to be seen until the next move. Finally, you just have to cut the cord. And those things would find their way into my “donate” pile. The weight was lifted.
If you can look at something you have in your house and truthfully say that you haven’t used it, worn it, or even touched it in a year… it’s time to let that ish go.
Note: Did you know you can become a member of my online community teaching you all about simplifying your life? Get more info on Live Simple Collective here.
Just in case you’re debating what may or may not fall into the “keep” and “donate” piles while cleaning and de-cluttering, download this free eBook for some hilarious, kick-in-the-ass advice: You Have Too Much Sh*t by Chris Thomas. (If you do download it, let me know in the comments below!)
The older I’ve gotten and the more I’ve moved, the more the minimalist lifestyle has appealed to me. I used to be the girl with so much stuff. But now? Now, I can’t wait to simplify and eliminate. Get rid of. Do away with. I feel lighter just talking about it!
It’s also a good lesson in attachment/detachment. Once we really see that we are, in fact, okay without that sweater from college or the purse we got for Christmas in 2003 and never used once, we’ll see what truly does add value to our lives.
We’ll have more space to invite more of what serves us, supports us, helps us.
And isn’t that what we really want in life? To live in alignment with our truth and have only the things which help us to be more fully in the moment. On purpose. To live consciously. (All of this purging is also a great lesson in buying less “stuff” to begin with but we’ll get to that another time.)
Whether you’re moving or just doing some Spring Cleaning, remind yourself that “stuff” is exactly that – “stuff.” It takes up space and energy and even time. Are the things you keep yourself surrounded by serving you? If not, it’s time to say “bye-bye.”
