Cluttered?

If you run a Google search for the word “declutter” you’ll find a long list of books you can buy (to add to your clutter) on how to declutter. Pinterest is also FULL of decluttering ideas… but here’s the real humdinger.. when you realise that all your clutter used to be money.

If we’re really honest with ourselves, we’d see the simple logic: if clutter is stressing us out, then we’d be better off with less. So… sell it, donate it, or toss it.  

We’re coming up to Christmas and there are many charity organisations who are trying to raise funds at this time of year. So choose whether you need the cash (sell it) or whether you want to be a blessing and donate it.

If it’s something you feel you can’t part with, then find a place where you’ll look at it with pride, or that you’ll use regularly. Life is too short too keep things for a ‘special occasion’ – LIFE IS A SPECIAL OCCASION. 

It goes without saying that if stuff needs to be fixed, then fix it so you can use it. Otherwise, TOSS IT. And skip the whole “but if I throw it away I’ll need it next week” guilt trip!!! If you’ve managed to live without it daily/weekly/monthly, you’ll manage without it. Sentimental value is one thing, but guilt trips shouldn’t come with sentimental value (if they do, all the more reason to toss it faster!). 

If something has been given to me – it’s been given to me to improve my life. If it’s not improving my life then the item is better off with someone else who’s life it will improve. 

Here’s an example (it’s personally awkward, so bear with me). When my folks left Rhodesia (as it was called then), a my dad gave a family friend a book on The World of Music. This thing was huge,  with a leather spine and wooden covers. 

Seriously, this book is over 2 inches thick, and heavy!! My dad inscribed the front cover to the friend with the words “something to remember us by”.  Twenty odd years later those same friends also decided to leave Rhodesia and moved to South Africa. My dad had the gall to ask for the book back. The friend (who has much more diplomacy than my dad did) returned with book with an added inscription “back to you, but for your daughter”, or words to that effect. 

The guilt-trip I associated with this book meant I could NOT enjoy it at all! Aside from the fact that it was utterly cumbersome! I ended up blessing it to someone who had an interest in music, who wasn’t privy to the guilt I associated with it and was therefore more able to enjoy it. The book isn’t even worth that much ($45 on Amazon currently), so it’s not like it was some rare or valuable book – one person got their copy for £1.50 at a car boot sale.

So don’t take guilt trips – they don’t go anywhere nice. Decide what works for you – and get rid of the rest. If someone tries to make you feel guilty for your actions, interrogate them as to why they’d wanna lay that burden on you.