As a child, I had a few very special toys, books and little things that I treasured. But as I grew up, and start making my own money, the game of owning and accumulation began. I have been fighting against it since. As a teen I would get overwhelmed with the state of my room and tear it apart and “organize” until everything fit back into the space that was mine. Of course, that failed repeatedly and I moved to my own apartment with MANY rooms to fill and lose things. With the addition of two children, a husband and a busy job, I landed here: In a beautiful home full of special people, but a lot of not special things. I know for sure that I am not treating things in a special way when they don’t have a place and are lost all the time.
I have been searching for a way to co-exist with the things I need in a way that works day to day and doesn’t overwhelm me. So, I have spent the past two years cutting back on clutter and what I have realized is that, although I have made progress, I am still just moving piles around in my house and have never finished to a point that brings me peace and happiness and gives everything I need in life a place of rest. Which translates to – I, myself, have had no place of rest.
My confession/realization is that I am a person who piles everything. Clothes, paperwork, books, crafts, music, writing, are all in piles around the house – cleverly hidden by piling in cube storage, binders, notebook folders, clear storage boxes, bookshelves. Piles everywhere! Lovely, organized piles. So even though I have donated and discarded so many items, what remains is almost unusable and often, an archeology dig to find when needed. The house isn’t a mess, but the neatness is a lie, and the clutter has become internal.
I found this book: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo and realized that I have never dealt with the meaning of the items I am keeping. Some arbitrary number like 7 pairs of whatever isn’t helpful for me, and now I know why: I don’t love all the things I kept. I have clothing made of fabric I don’t like, clothing that doesn’t fit right, or I don’t like what I feel when I wear them.
So a new and joyful process begins today for me. It’s an honoring of myself, my style, and an honoring of the things I own and will keep and those that have fulfilled their purpose and need to be let go.
She suggests that I start with Clothing – ALL OF IT! Anything hung in hallways, tucked in drawers, in closets, on shelves, in the basement, in storage. All. Of. It. Dump out the drawers, take everything off hangers and put it all together in big piles sorted by type: tops, pants, dresses, handbags, shoes, etc.
I will choose only clothes that bring me pleasure and those I love by picking up each article in the pile and asking one question:
Does it spark joy?
What a concept. What a new way to live!