The Positivity of Purging Stuff

Downsize.  Declutter.  Clean out the closet.  Get rid of things.  Give stuff away.

Do those words make you want to cling to your stuff?  And run far, far away with all of it?

When you sell/donate/give stuff to a friend, it is not to punish yourself for having too much stuff.  It's releasing the energy that is stuck in your life because you have too much stuff.  Clutter creates chaos. You can feel the energy shift when you clear out a space.  

The items that are clogging up space in your home--requiring your time, energy, and money to maintain--are just things.  Now, you might be thinking "How dare she!  To speak about my great-grandmother's China as just a thing!"  But, in reality, it is.  People, plants, and animals are living. Things are not.

Every single item in your home probably has a memory attached to it.  That's why things are "sentimental" because they make us think about a certain person or time in our life...they trigger memories (positive or negative).  If things don't evoke an emotional response, and you don't use them---get rid of them right now.  Those are the easy things to clear out!

Then move on to the things that you don't use, but they do evoke an emotional response.  Can you figure out a way to make them functional?  (Making a quilt out of old favorite t-shirts, for example)  
If not, then it can go.  You have my permission to sell/donate/give to a friend that item that you're pondering.  It's ok.  Dust collectors that aren't useful and beautiful need to leave our space to allow energy to move freely.

Start out slowly.  Try to fill one small bag to "re-home" and see how it makes you feel.  When you realize that you're still the same person without those things, then you'll gain some momentum to fill another bag...or 2...or 5.  You don't have to get rid of half the things in your home--just clean out the clutter that isn't needed.  You don't have to give up your absolute favorite pair of jeans.  But those 5 pairs that don't fit right?  Yes, those need to go.

You can do a one day "get rid of it all" kind of purge...or a slow and steady one where you devote 10-15 minutes a day clearing out your unused items.  A friend said she was doing "40 bags in 40 days" and I LOVED that idea!  It's always fun to have a challenging goal to meet.

If you feel overwhelmed by stuff--there are piles laying around, laundry doesn't get put away, bills are overlooked--like you can't ever get caught up...you can benefit from purging some stuff. 

Now is the time to do it.

Find the positive in purging stuff.  It's there...you'll see.