Simplifying
- 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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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…
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Help! I’m drowning in paper!
NOTE: This is a popular article I repeat every so often since paper clutter is a biggie! What do you need to keep and what you can toss is a question I get asked frequently. Help! I’m drowning in paper! Do I really need to keep it all? You want me to do what with all that paper? I’m supposed to do what? File? Organize? You must be kidding. There are mountains of it and just the thought gives me hives. And, even if I decided to waste away a lovely Saturday afternoon on such a soul-sucking chore, what in the world do I keep anyway? What do I toss? Everything seems…
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What if clutter isn’t what you thought it was?
What if clutter isn’t what you thought it was? What if it is more about where it is that makes it clutter than what it is? I know we have all heard various definitions of clutter. The most common one used these days is anything you perceive that has value but does not. A collection of objects or items which are more or less useless. Or, as Denise Linn, author of Sacred Space defines it, “If you don’t love it or use it, chances are it’s clutter.” Both these definitions are undoubtedly valid. After all, we all have useless and unloved stuff in our homes. We all keep items to which…
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Are you ready to March out of clutter?
Are you ready to MARCH out of your clutter? Have you ever wondered why you have clutter? What caused it. When it began. And, why does it continue no matter what you do? You get firm with yourself. You set aside time to once and for all march yourself out of the clutter. No excuses. No putting it off. But then, back it comes as if it has a mind of its own. As if you have no control over it. It simply grows. Like the laundry in the hamper. You swear that you only put a pair of socks and slacks in there, yet, the hamper is full. Jokingly,…
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I got triggered, and it wasn’t pretty!
I got triggered, and it wasn’t pretty! How often have you gotten triggered? You know, that which touches something that sets you off. It could be something seriously traumatic or small and petty. It doesn’t matter which it was, does it? At that moment, it simply triggered you. You may not even know what it is that set the bomb off – something ticking behind the scenes unknown to your conscious self. However, when the fuse gets lit, off it goes. Or, better said, off you go! Many of us are confused or embarrassed by the emotion that erupts, especially volatile anger or rage. It can be pretty disturbing what may come out of…
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You can’t take it with you
You can’t take it with you … Then, why do I have so much stuff? You can’t take it with you! Something my dad said and lived by — his voice still clearly resonates in my head to this day. He’s now been gone almost 15 years and his wisdom and practical guidance and still so useful to a world that has forgotten this principle. He was a giving man, one who believed he had plenty in life, even though he was not a high-income earner — at least based on today’s standards. He gave generously, to his family when he saw there was a need or even a desire. He didn’t just say…
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Did you expect the new year to change your life?
Okay, so you turned the page on your 2021 calendar to a new year – to 2022. Finally, the clock strikes midnight, and a new year appears. With this simple action, the flip of the calendar from one day to the next comes so much hope. Hope that this year will be better or the things we wish to have or want will come true. Much emphasis, expectations, and desires are placed upon this one simple action of one day changing into another and, along with it, marking a new year. To ring in that new year, we perform rituals, enjoy celebrations, make new vision boards, and write long lists…
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The Control Freak Lets Go of Control
The Control Freak Lets Go of Control Impossible, I think, to let go of control. How will my world go on spinning if I don’t take charge and make it happen? Certainly, things won’t get done. Life will fall apart. No one will do what they said they would do. I religiously make my daily “to-do” list and proceed to push myself each day to complete it, no matter what it takes. No matter how long my day must go. To give me a sense of accomplishment. A sense of success. And, of course, to convince me that I am in control. Even those items that require others in my…
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Does tidying up and decluttering truly set you free?
Does tidying up and decluttering truly set you free? This question is a powerful one. Something that many professionals and experts in the field suggest is the outcome of decluttering. However, is that true? Does tidying up and decluttering truly set you free? For those looking for a comforting promise, my answer may be discouraging or frustrating. We are a culture looking for assurances and guarantees. We have come to believe that all we need to do is to take specific action steps and the promised goal is ours. Such as take this pill and you’ll feel better. Have a headache, depression, or stomach upset, here’s the answer. Clean up your home…