Going the Other Way

At first it can feel strange to let go. It can even seem wrong. We're taught to acquire. No one's ever told us about going the other way.

But as you ask about the things in your living space and begin to discover things that no longer fit you physically and emotionally, the awkwardness turns into a feeling of freedom and certainty. That's the feeling of your life becoming right-sided again.

Recently I was helping a client clutter bust her meditation room. She said that it was supposed to be relaxing, but being in this room made her feel stressful. So I asked her about the contents of the room. She told me about the books. I could feel her throat tighten in her voice. I suggested we take a deeper look.

They were self-help books that she had collected over the years. She felt it was wrong to question the books. I said that's normal. I asked her to think of it as trying on clothes at a store and seeing what fits. She would be doing herself and the things that don't fit a favor by not choosing them.

We went through one book at a time. She was stunned to discover that more than half the books no longer had a place in her life. I said they did at one point. But now they don't. And now they can move on to other people who will benefit from them.