One gift in this life that I love celebrating – and one which we are often not grateful enough for, in fact often don’t even recognize, is the virtue of keeping life simple.
I might fantasize about living in a home with six bedrooms, a library and a landscaped garden. In reality, my husband and I run three businesses from a two-and-a-half bedroom home. The garage is both his office and the laundry and my writing desk is in our bedroom – so my early-morning typing is always at risk of waking the sleeping giant (aka hubby).
This month (and what better time than the start of a new year?), I have been de-cluttering. Feng shui practitioners believe this process removes stagnant energy from a home or workplace, allowing new energy (and a whole world of possibilities) to sweep inside your doors – and your life. I always feel refreshed and invigorated when I clean, de-clutter and organise so maybe there’s truth in these principles.
However, I’m a sentimental person, so it is often difficult for me to let go of hundred-year-old knick knacks inherited from my Great Uncle or a chipped mug that was once given to me by a now departed friend. We will never forget our memories of loved ones, but too much clutter and immersing ourselves in our past all the time can sometimes thwart us from moving on to the next stage in our short life on this world.
So I’ve had to be quite ruthless in discarding those objects in my home that are no longer useful or inspiring to me at this point in my life. To do this effectively, I have to focus on two things: 1) That someone else has a greater use for these items that I’m not using; and 2) By releasing them back into the world, I am allowing space in my life for new ideas and possibilities. De-cluttering my house, although sometimes frustrating and agonising at the start of the process, is an incredibly simple action that you can implement in your life to create new energy in 2014. Now that’s certainly something to celebrate at the start of a new year.
What are you celebrating this week? I’m celebrating the many ways in which I can simplify my life.
This post is part of VikLit‘s blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things.
To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you’re grateful for that week.
It can be about writing or family or school or general life.
Well said Cheryse, in fact I have started the same thing. Ruthless and space circle my mind like Indians. Every time I falter an arrow hits me in the head and I discard. Clothes and books going to people who WILL make crocheted toilet roll covers and a skirt I wore at age 15 that showed my witches britches back then show my lace panties now. I liked the fabric, but it can be sent with the crafty bundle to a young inspired friend.
My second resolution will be NOT to fill that new space.
Nice to be on the same page. but it will take me longer as I have more rooms and a shed and a container of memories.
Aw, that’s beautiful. I think, now, I’m fortunate that I have a small house, otherwise I would have accumulated a lot more ‘stuff’. Fascinating how the world works for you, even when you don’t realise it. And go you now that you’re getting rid of everything. It will give you more space for your writing <3
Yay for de-cluttering your home and life! I so need to do this. I have a ton of boxes that should be gone through and old clothes/shoes to throw out…but I’m a talented procrastinator, so I’ve managed to put it off for quite a few years now! Have a great weekend! lol
Thanks, Lexa. It sounds like you’re doing very well, despite the clutter. My mother-in-law always says that creativity occurs on the edge of chaos so… 🙂
Decluttering can be very satisfying. I completely agree, new ideas, new possibilities, new beginnings!
Thanks, Viklit, I’m delighted that I discovered you and your Grateful for the Small Things blog after I started de-cluttering. It’s like it was paving the way for it.
I started de-cluttering in December and accomplished a lot but life intervened and I didn’t finish. So now I’m determined to keep de-cluttering so I can gain more control over my life. That’s the worst thing about clutter – it leaves you floundering, both mentally and physically. I love clear spaces but life keeps throwing paperwork at me. But I keep fighting 🙂
Go Sandy! <3
I’m still celebrating mango season, any way I can. Fresh, with my cereal, in smoothies and drying them. Believe me, this season is well worth celebrating. As for the clutter – let sleeping dogs lie 😉
Yay to mangoes!
I like Laree’s celebration best. I find I spend too much of my creative mind space when considering de-cluttering, Mango however, takes none of my thought process at all, except to decide if I want a smoothie or the simple fruit.
Yay to mangoes – to the power of ten!
Oh I have the same problem… it takes me ages to get around to it, but when I do, I can be ruthless and will throw everything out:)
I think, TF, you’d be very determined once you’d made up your mind. We’d just have to stand back and wait for Cyclone Tania to seek and destroy. Leaving rubble in her wake 🙂