I was just looking around my house yesterday. I do have a lot of things. They are things that mean something to me. Examples: I collect Willow Tree figurines, they give me a feeling of warmth when I look at them; I have different arrangements that are in honor/memory of Matthew, they give me comfort; I have old things that I like that belonged to my grandmothers and my dad (pedaled singer sewing machine, a handmade chest, handmade baskets, windup pendulum clocks, quilts and bedspreads made by them, etc) that make me feel closer to them and wonderful memories (I enjoy using and looking at them.) There are things that I could get rid of that I’m not attached to but are being used so I would have to get something to replace them that I would like better but couldn’t buy it. Another thing I collect is books. I love my books. I’m sure I will never be able to read them all but when I’m around them, in a library or book store I feel a sense of peace.
I do know there are things that I hang on to just because and that people have given me. I’m afraid of offending someone if I got rid of it but then again they probably don’t even remember giving it to me. lol
When I start thinking about purging and getting rid of things I become anxious and overwhelmed.
I’ve been doing my breathing and the 23rd Psalm which is calming but when I open my eyes, everything is still waiting for me! lol
I need to do what you suggest. Start with 1 drawer and go from there.
I like the idea of stopping every hour but I’m sure things would happen and throw me off. Then comes that defeatist feeling again.
Beverly, Your house sounds exactly like mine. I have so many old things that belonged to my family, I couldn't bear to get rid of right now. Most of them aren't stylish, but they make me happy. I guess I'm just strange in that I really don't dream about changing them. They don't make me feel stuck, they make me feel grounded. I know my house will never show up on a magazine cover. But, I am getting better at decluttering by starting with more impersonal things, like clothing, kitchen items unused craft supplies and various tools from our shed. These are much easier to let go of, for me anyway. We've already put it in our will that our six kids won't have to deal with cleaning our junk out. We have specified one of the Estate Sale companies in our town do a sale when we're gone and divide the proceeds equally between the kids.
I have a hard time turning off news or the internet because I feel the need to keep up with current events (even though they usually make me angry). And I admit that I scroll Facebook more than I should, because that's the only place my kids post pictures of my grandkids now.
Monica, my my motto these days is "Less is more~
I’ve been practicing less is more for more than 20 years. I love living with less stuff.
I learned a lot from the books of Marie Kondo
I was just looking around my house yesterday. I do have a lot of things. They are things that mean something to me. Examples: I collect Willow Tree figurines, they give me a feeling of warmth when I look at them; I have different arrangements that are in honor/memory of Matthew, they give me comfort; I have old things that I like that belonged to my grandmothers and my dad (pedaled singer sewing machine, a handmade chest, handmade baskets, windup pendulum clocks, quilts and bedspreads made by them, etc) that make me feel closer to them and wonderful memories (I enjoy using and looking at them.) There are things that I could get rid of that I’m not attached to but are being used so I would have to get something to replace them that I would like better but couldn’t buy it. Another thing I collect is books. I love my books. I’m sure I will never be able to read them all but when I’m around them, in a library or book store I feel a sense of peace.
I do know there are things that I hang on to just because and that people have given me. I’m afraid of offending someone if I got rid of it but then again they probably don’t even remember giving it to me. lol
When I start thinking about purging and getting rid of things I become anxious and overwhelmed.
I’ve been doing my breathing and the 23rd Psalm which is calming but when I open my eyes, everything is still waiting for me! lol
I need to do what you suggest. Start with 1 drawer and go from there.
I like the idea of stopping every hour but I’m sure things would happen and throw me off. Then comes that defeatist feeling again.
I’m always a work in progress!
You sound like me. I need to declutter the impersonal things. The others, as you said, grounds me.
I, too, am the same way with the news and facebook.
It’s nice to find someone just like me.
Beverly, Your house sounds exactly like mine. I have so many old things that belonged to my family, I couldn't bear to get rid of right now. Most of them aren't stylish, but they make me happy. I guess I'm just strange in that I really don't dream about changing them. They don't make me feel stuck, they make me feel grounded. I know my house will never show up on a magazine cover. But, I am getting better at decluttering by starting with more impersonal things, like clothing, kitchen items unused craft supplies and various tools from our shed. These are much easier to let go of, for me anyway. We've already put it in our will that our six kids won't have to deal with cleaning our junk out. We have specified one of the Estate Sale companies in our town do a sale when we're gone and divide the proceeds equally between the kids.
I have a hard time turning off news or the internet because I feel the need to keep up with current events (even though they usually make me angry). And I admit that I scroll Facebook more than I should, because that's the only place my kids post pictures of my grandkids now.