Declutter Your Life and Discover Something New…

I recently completed my annual decluttering ritual that included giving away clothes and shoes that I have not worn in the past 3-5 years. It also included hauling away broken appliances, furniture and things that had accumulated in my attic and garage. This decluttering ritual has become a major part of my self-care process. In addition to the feeling of accomplishment it brings, it literally creates room for my mind, body, and spirit to breathe.

This year as I was preparing to declutter, I found it more difficult than previous times. After reflecting on the process, I realized that the clutter that I was releasing had great sentimental value. Many of the items that I either gave away or threw away represented a former season for which I had attached my identity.

While I have experienced major life changes in the past 5 years, in some ways I was still clinging to an old identity. For example, it took pain staking time for me to rid myself of items that represented my children’s high school and college years. I found myself sitting with these items and rehearsing why I should keep them. When in fact, it was not the items that I needed to throw away, it was the identity of being the mother of young high school and college students.

Once I rid myself of this old identity, it was easier to rid myself of the items that represented that season of my life. Of course, I kept some things for posterity and sentimentality, but many of these items no longer serve the woman that I am today. Therefore, it was creating clutter in my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual space.

Much has been written about decluttering. We can find creative tips on how to declutter such as the article that I’ve included here: https://www.becomingminimalist.com/creative-ways-to-declutter. While I appreciate the author’s practical approach to decluttering, I also add that decluttering is a risky proposition.

Decluttering requires us letting go of old identities, habits, and mindsets. It requires that we do some soul searching and reflect upon the reasons we find it difficult to throw away some things. Decluttering causes us to confront our assumptions, boundaries and things that we cling to for our identity. Decluttering forces us to accept our present reality and frees us to explore new horizons. When we declutter, it creates space for us to confidently embrace new realities.

Before we go into this new year, I invite you to declutter your life and discover a new you, new people, new places, and new opportunities.

Blessings…

Dr. Toni