My client said, "Why am I feeling so lethargic and down?"
I said that's what clutter does. As a collective force it takes away your energy and spirit.
My client said she wanted to have a peaceful feeling in her home, but she didn't have that.
I said let's find and root out the clutter so she could enjoy her living space again.
She showed me some hidden shelves in her bedroom. They were covered up by silk curtains. She said she hadn't looked behind the curtains in a long time. Of course I picked that area to begin. Most of the time things that are hidden are clutter.
My client showed me special edition classic books that were on the shelves. She wasn't reading them. She preferred reading books on kindle. The book's print was too difficult for her to read.
I asked if she could let the books go since she wasn't reading them.
She hesitated.
I asked her to tell me how she was feeling. She said she liked how these books made her seem. "Like I'm an intellectual. It's an old idea of who I thought I needed to be. Part of my identity was being a smart girl. It was more for show."
I said that she'd never feel comfortable trying to create and instill an image of herself in
other people's minds. Even if she somehow managed to have that effect in others, she still wouldn't feel
comfortable in her self.
She decided that way of living wasn't serving her anymore and she decided to donate the books.