Setting Ourselves Free!

When I learn something that changes my life, I am compelled to share with you. By going through my possessions and memories, I have set myself free! Tidying up is the Japanese way to learn to honor every possession in your life. You quite literally touch every single thing in your home. As you are going through your possessions, all of them, you only keep what brings you joy, real joy. As a Feng Shui Consultant, this method really touches my core!

I tidied up my entire home. I touched every single thing and only kept what brings me joy. My life will be forever changed from this process. This is FAR more than decluttering. When you only keep what brings you joy, you learn to honor your belongings and their place in your life. I could not have done this without the help of a powerful little book. You can find it, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, on Amazon. Marie also has a series on Netflix. It is a true life-changer and a great investment in yourself!

I can tell you where every single thing I own resides. Why? Because I purposely decided what to keep. I have donated or thrown away a lifetime of belongings, from clothing to even gifts. Why do we EVER keep what doesn't bring us joy? This is your life! Your time and efforts are valuable. Time spent taking care of belongings that you do not cherish is time wasted.

I would like to tell you what doing this process has done for me. I have more time, every single day. I have peace, deep peace, knowing no projects within the house are waiting on me. I feel myself being filled up with new energy now that I have released all the old stagnant energy that I hadn't even been aware was holding me back!

I walk into every closet in my home and just stand there grinning! When I go to pick out my clothes in the morning, it's a joy because I only have what I love. I did not keep an item of clothing I feel badly about. There is no more guilt over expensive clothes that didn't look good on me, clothes I never liked, clothes that were outdated or worn. They're gone. When I decide what jewelry to wear, I am surrounded by jewelry I love now. It's easy!

I have no hidden caches or tucked away stacks that embarrass me. I don't need to shove anything out of the way if company drops in. I cut my books, videos and CD collections by over half. When I look at my bookshelf now, I easily see what interests me. I had kept books for years, just because. I have changed over the years and these books no longer applied to me or my current interests. Same with videos and CDs. It's so much easier just seeing titles that I truly love! It feels as if my house has lost weight and such stagnant energy.

There are no old videos in our home waiting to be converted to DVDs. I had them all done! Now we can readily watch them as a family and there is no more guilt or big stacks of outdated technology sitting around!

The biggest change for me is in the memorabilia department. I grew exponentially because of going through all these old memories. If you know me much, you are aware that we lost our 15-year-old daughter over 20 years ago. I had no idea how hard I worked to honor her memory and keep her alive. As I was going through this process, Tricia came to me on a daily basis. We went through 14 tubs of memorabilia together including two Beanie Baby collections (hers and her brother). Together, we got those 14 tubs down to 1 tub!!!! That's two filing cabinet drawers for a lifetime of memorabilia. Tricia taught me to let go of everything that did not spark joy and laughter. I learned that I don't need to prove, through keeping memorabilia, that I have been a good Mother. I learned that I didn't need to prove that my children had good childhoods. What I did keep were things that evoked the true nature of our lives and the personalities of each of my children. I kept the things that brought great joy that I know my son will enjoy seeing again.

I am constantly asked where my donations went. I supported our Senior Center by donating all my craft kits and supplies, nursing centers and libraries were happy to receive books and magazines, and the Beanie Baby collections went to missionaries in Mexico who gave out the toys to children who had very little (our son was thrilled). Our expensive but heavy vacuum cleaner/floor shampooer, some never used outdoor games and all our old board games went to our local Boys & Girls Club. Anything left went to our local Goodwill as they train those with disabilities to enter the workforce.

I will leave a legacy of love to my living child. He will not be burdened by going through tons of unused items as well as some things that only held grief and sorrow. He will not be burdened by papers hoarded over the years because I simply didn't want to deal with them - from bills, old house papers, and, finally, back to memorabilia. I have not only set my soul free but, in doing so, I have given a gift to my living child as well.

By going through my possessions and memories, I have set myself free! If you are interested in doing this, I would highly recommend reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Read it cover to cover before beginning. This will be a hard task but one that you are worth! Take back your life! Honor yourself, your home and all that is in it! If I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Until next time...............