Cherished Items
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It takes courage – and big deep breaths!
It takes courage … and a big deep breath! The mountain seemed massive and steep. The summit, the peak I wished to reach, was far off in the distance. There were no switchbacks to make the climb easier. It appeared to be an endless uphill climb. I hadn’t prepared or trained for this climb, let alone be able to reach the ultimate peak—the peak I truly wanted to reach. It made me sweaty, gasping for breath with my heart pounding a mile a minute. I almost gave up before I began. Who was I kidding? But then I reminded myself I’ve done this before and made it to the top.…
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Is it time to come out of hiding?
Come out of hiding Tuesday! What did I do over the weekend? I let go of and donated my old life. Say what? Yes! The old Joan who hasn’t lived that life for years, decades even. Where was she hidden? In the back of a closet, a deep closet, hidden in the dark, out of the way. An old life that no longer existed. The life I lived well. In the dark, hidden were business suits, the outfit I wore to my daughter’s wedding, my college graduation gown from 1985, and a fancy cocktail dress. Three suits I couldn’t bear to part with … Expensive, beautifully tailored suits. Classic. Oh, they were…
- Cherished Items, Decluttering, Journey, Letting go, Musings, Simplifying, Storage Space, Tidying, Triggers
Are you frozen in overwhelm?
Are you frozen in overwhelm? Oh no! You’ve got to be kidding. Another box? How is it possible there’s yet another box? I thought I’d handled all of them, yet there it was on the shelf. A shelf that usually doesn’t store this sort of thing. How did it end up there? It must have gotten shoved in whatever open space was available just to get it out of the way – not to mention out of mind. In this case, it had been out of my mind for two years! What box is this for which I refer? A “hidden” box that went unnoticed and forgotten since my Mom…
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Do you set yourself up for disappointment?
Do you set yourself up for disappointment? I had everything ready. The box was a perfect size with a blanket inside. I had planned it all with great expectation and convinced myself that what I wished and asked for would come true. After all, hadn’t I asked Santa for it? Early Christmas morning, I raced downstairs with great anticipation, no longer able to contain my excitement. I was sure Santa had granted my deepest wish, only to find that he had not given me what I most wanted for Christmas. Plenty of packages were under the tree, and my Christmas stocking was overflowing with lots of goodies. Yet, my heart…
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Are you still clinging to the old?
Is it time to unclench those fists and let go? Aren’t your hands tired by now? Isn’t it exhausting to hold on so tightly? Maintaining and holding onto stuff or a way of life that no longer serves you is exhausting. So is keeping up the façade and pretending you still need that thing, relationship, or the piles of memories you’ve accumulated. I’ve noticed how much stuff I had hung onto and no longer needed or wanted. So, slowly over the last few years, I have let go of things that no longer fit my lifestyle or were past their usefulness. Things I never thought I would release from my life. It got me thinking back…
- Change, Cherished Items, Decluttering, Journey, Letting go, Musings, Self-Care, Simplifying, Tidying, Triggers
Do you display or use your keepsakes?
Do you display or use your keepsakes? I have a beautiful keepsake that I cherish and have kept. It is one of the few meaningful things I intentionally have hung onto. Having curated and let go of so many other keepsake items over the years. This cherished keepsake is a voicemail message from my Mom singing Happy Birthday to You. Less than a month later, in October 2020, she passed away. Her voice was rough and scratchy as she sang, yet it was music to my ears, especially now that she’s gone. I listened to that beautiful message on my birthday in 2021 and will do so again this year.…
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Why do we insist on making life complicated?
Ever wonder why we prefer complicated to simple? Crazy, isn’t it that given the option of simple or complex, we pick the more complicated option. If it’s too simple, we believe it’ll never work, and we end up favoring the complex. We give undue credence to complex concepts versus simple ones. I have seen this in action over the years in my money counseling practice as I’ve counseled individuals, couples, and business owners in simple ways to tidy up and manage their money. I have helped thousands of people unpack and make simple how they manage their funds. Yet, as soon as it becomes simpler, never fail; they find a…
- Cherished Items, Consumption, Decluttering, Letting go, Musings, Simplifying, Storage Space, Tidying
Where’s your pile of negativity?
Where’s your pile of negativity? Let’s talk basements and attics. Not that everyone has them. However, for those of you who do, have you considered the tremendous negative energy that smolders below and hangs heavily above? Your basements are full of who knows what, and your attics are full of even more. Most of it you’ve kept for years, if not decades. For those who don’t have a basement or attic, this applies to you too! Aw shucks! Did you think I would only stick to what is under or above you in your home? You’ve got piles of negativity too. Only yours are hidden away in inventive places or…
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What about those collectibles?
What about those collectibles? Who doesn’t love a teddy bear? Oh, so soft and squishy. How can you possibly not fall in love with their sweet little faces – button noses, chubby cheeks, and those adoring eyes. They look at you with acceptance and love. Can you tell my collectibles are teddy bears? Or at least they used to be. I had them displayed all over my house. They were on shelves at the ceiling in our bedroom, in a glassed-in cabinet in our home office, sitting on chairs or rockers, or on the bed. You name it; my growing teddy bear collection was taking over every room in the house.…
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Is your clutter hidden?
Is your clutter hidden? Are you ready to laugh at yourself? There’s nothing better than to laugh at yourself when you recognize that you, too, have fallen trap to something you thought you had dealt with already. Such as clutter. You prided yourself on the fact that it was no longer an issue. After all, you have nothing left to discard, let go of, or giveaway—all neat, tidy, and organized. Or so you think! A friend and I laughed at ourselves as we chatted about clutter. We joked about how we had convinced ourselves we didn’t have any and agreed the visible areas in our homes were clear of excess. There was…