I just moved and I swear to you, while I may not live in this new house forever, (especially if my retired neighbors don’t stop cutting their grass daily!) all the stuff I just moved, might! The new owners can keep this stuff or sell it! I just know one thing and that is that my ass won’t be moving it again! It’s just too much. Not only is it expensive to move all this crap, its stressful! It’s a ton of work. It takes weeks to pack it, and even longer to unpack it. My last house was about a 1/3 larger, so already there is too much stuff for a smaller home. Add to that all of the things you no longer need, like, or want, and it is indeed time for a yard sale!
There’s a large unfinished space that the previous owners used for storage, and it was FULL when I looked at the house. I thought when I saw it filled to the rafters, “who needs all this crap?” It is again FULL. A decent about of the boxes, bags and bins belong to my daughter, but way too much of it belongs to me! Once again, I must ask the question, “who needs all this crap?”
The old house had a mantle and a wall unit, a sideboard, and lots of shelves that were full of knick knacks and do-dads. This house has none of that, so there just aren’t many surfaces to display my 2080 candle holders! And how many vases does one need? I mean, opening a flower shop is not exactly on my bucket list.
So rather than look for places to store things, it’s time to edit my possessions. Just like I write paragraph after paragraph and edit my posts, I need to do the same with all this stuff. Just like writing, I need to go through it, look for redundancy, and eliminate the unnecessary.
Instead of just being surrounded by stuff, I need to surround myself with only the things I truly love or need. It’s time to eliminate whatever doesn’t inspire me or elicit happy thoughts. It’s time to curate my possessions!
I read this statement in my research from Marie Kondo. “Can you truthfully say that you treasure something buried so deeply in a closet or drawer that you have forgotten its existence? If things had feelings, they would certainly not be happy. Free them from the prison to which you have relegated them. Help them leave that deserted isle to which you have exiled them.”
Boy, if that’s true, my stuff hates me! Some of it has been in boxes in a basement for over five years, when someone else might have appreciated or enjoyed having it on display. Perhaps they would make someone else happy or to feel inspired.
Okay, so the idea of going through all of this crap does not sound appealing at all. Moving is exhausting and after a month, the house is starting to feel comfortable. (Even though I do not like ANY of my old furniture and would prefer to start with a clean slate and my neighbors own too many power tools.) No budget for that at the moment! Just the thought of tackling those boxes that have yet to be opened makes me tired!
Yup! It’s beyond time to let go of a lot of things. And, I mean, why is that so hard for so many? (Including me!)
Do we hang on to things because of memories we’ve attached to them? Does holding on to all of these so-called sentimental items keep us stuck in the past? Can we truly be present in the now, if we are surrounded by so much of past life? Of course, there are things that we keep. Maybe we pass them down to future generations because of their historical significance. Things that help us to know who we are and where we came from. But let’s be real, we also tend to hold on to things that weigh us down emotionally as well.
There are also benefits to living with less stuff. Having fewer possessions allows us more freedom. We can pack up and go anywhere without imposing on friends or hiring a crew! And quite honestly, the way things are going in this country, I need to figure out how much of this stuff I want to take with me to Tuscany!
Even when I pack for a trip, I tend to over-pack. I’m always packing for the “just in case” scenarios. Of course, it’s great to have options, but after years of traveling, I know from experience that I probably wear about half of what I pack. Rather than sitting at the airport stressing about that bag coming off the belt, I could be chilling at the beach or the pool bar if I had packed lighter! How much “just in case” crap is sitting in your home?
I have come to the realization that I have more clothes than some boutiques. Sometimes, it’s fun to go shopping in my closet and find things with the tags on that I missed because there’s too much jammed in there. Of course, that’s a double-edged sword. If you don’t know what you have, you probably have too much. How much time do you waste looking for stuff? (As if any of us has that time to waste!)
Currently, I’m about 15-20 pounds lighter than I was on June 4th and quite frankly, while I need to gain some of that weight back, (mainly muscle) I can’t say I’m mad about losing a little weight. Unfortunately, I’m in a smaller size now and most of my clothes are now too big. (Don’t do that! I’m not bragging, and I would never suggest the “grief” diet to anyone!) Now, on a positive note, my having saved things that became too tight has worked out. They fit again! But does one really need 25 pairs of jeans? Or sandals they haven’t worn in ten years? If your closet is just full of things that do not make you feel or look your best, it is time to get rid of them! And think about how much easier it will be to get dressed when you have less crap to weed through. (I said crap a lot in this post, didn’t I?)
An added bonus to the closet clean out is being able to donate to those in need. Win! Win!
I wrote a post a while back on decluttering. There have been numerous scientific studies that have demonstrated that clutter increases our level of stress. Less stuff. Less stress! We can all certainly benefit from a little less of that! Just walking into that storage room, I immediately feel a sense of being overwhelmed. I think I’m beyond the simple decluttering process. No, I’m afraid it is time for a power purge! Who’s with me? (I picked that term up in my research!)
I’m very sensitive to noise these days. I guess from all those years living in the woods and at the beach. (You think I can use lawn mowers as an excuse in an insanity plea?) But what many fail to realize is that clutter is basically just visual noise! Not only does all this excess stuff clutter your space, it also clutters your mind.
And finally, the less crap you have, the easier it is to clean! I mean, just think of all the time you spend cleaning around (because most are doing just that!) all that stuff (or money spent paying someone else to do it for you!) that you can dedicate to things you actually enjoy.
Pay now or pay later. But you pay! Less stuff = More time. More life. Your choice.
Kay, this hit me hard! I spent last Saturday with my mom and she helped me pair back on things in my office/craft room and it felt so good. But I needed someone with me to say “that brought you joy but you don’t need it now, pass it along”. It helped me disassociate from the gifts and cute things and feel better that I had breathing room afterwords. In my community we have a free store, and they just give your things to others for free. I love it. (It was started by John Fetterman’s wife! She’s so caring!)
Anyway, thanks for writing all of this. Such a good reminder that the memories or feelings of joy can still stay, but your life is better off more simplified!
Thanks for reading and sharing Maranda! That free store is a great idea. (and much safer than having folks come to your house!)