Today I decided to let you do the talking. This blog post is made from pieces of the inspiring clutter busting emails that you sent me. I appreciate all the letting go work that you do. I think you're amazing! Your insights and self-reliance are the goal of this blog.
"I think one reason I held onto the stuff is because, honestly, I was afraid of not having something to do. Clutter is a way for people to feel important. It is a way to make people feel like they have projects. Some people fear uncertainty and having junk around is a way to feel like 'oh, there is something to do.' So, when I finally did it..I entered that unknown...now what to do? Well, fear not, something always comes up, except this time, I can tackle it head on with a clear head. No longer is a portion of my energy wasted on maintaining responsibility for these liabilities."
"Knowing I am infinite and divine helps to let go because I trust the universe gives me everything I need. If I don't need it, that's why I don't have it. If I have it, and it isn't adding value- toss it. That includes people and ideas in my life, too."
"I came across a drawer full of jogging clothes. I don't jog anymore--and furthermore don't WANT to jog anymore. But I neatly folded the jogging clothes and put them back in the drawer. By the time I got to the bottom drawer of the dresser, it hit me! In the blink of an eye, I had them out of the drawer and into a box destined for Goodwill."
"Advertising tells us our happiness comes from acquistions and possessions. But no. Happiness comes from within and the more distracted we are by external crap, the less centered we are. Truely, as within, so without."
"It is about "relationships" with the people BEHIND THE THINGS we collect and clutter. I see where I need to just get rid of this stuff because I don't have a 'relationship' with these people behind my clutter anymore or the experiences I had with them and this stuff."
"I have a very different attitude about the clutter after I have opened so many boxes of things that held no more meaning for me. 'Crap' as you call it! Today my daughter asked me if I wanted to keep a copy of her college graduation announcement. Ordinarily I would have snapped that up to have as a 'very important' keepsake, but I couldn't think of a good reason to keep it. I've thrown away so much of that kind of thing lately that I understood, in that moment, the destiny of that piece of 'paper'. I'm breathing a little easier because I was able to see that."
"I'm 2 weeks into my new clutterbusting mode and it's becoming quite an obsession. This has been a whirlwind clutterbusting weekend! You never said how addicting this could be. I have been cleaning like a mad cleaning fool. I am having a much easier time letting go of the 'things that are no longer enhancing my life'"
"Well, it took me a while, but I got through all of my books. I was able to donate about 100 books. The following things really helped me:
1.) Taking the books to another room and then going through them.
2.) Taking breaks. Clutter-busting can be mentally draining, so going through the books a little bit at a time kept me motivated.
3.) Drinking water.
4.) Assessing whether the book was useful to me "now" and trusting my decision. When I kept these points as my main focus, it helped me to quickly go through the books and not second-guess myself."