Decluttering brings Freedom
Have you ever noticed how much stuff you have? Stuff you don't use, don’t enjoy, don't wear & certainly don't need. I started decluttering our home at the start of the new year for these very reasons.
I am meticulously organized but we still have too much stuff. And why am I continuously organizing all of these things that I don’t even want or use instead of just getting rid of them!?!
I’m not exactly sure what sparked this desire to declutter & rid myself of things but doing so has made me feel more liberated and has given me a new sense of freedom. Does that make any sense at all? You see, each year I set out with a mission to bring more of what I value & more positivity into my life. So, I was motivated yet again this year to make a change.
I feel like I grow as a person in new ways every year & am constantly learning about what I want and don’t want in my life as well as what I am willing to accept & that which I am no longer comfortable with. Call it maturity, call it learning, call it what you want but this year brought me face to face with our stuff & decluttering it. Hence, I have spent the better part of 3 months getting rid of the excess. I have gone through every room, drawer, closet, filing cabinet, cupboard & even my email inbox. I have donated lots, sold things and thrown out or recycled others.
Most of us, I believe, can agree that we have too much stuff. So, it surprised me that I had to talk myself into getting rid of certain things & not only that, but that I’ve also had to struggle, occasionally, with the desire to buy more things I don’t need. These thoughts then come with their own soul-searching, why do I want to buy this? Why do I feel a need to have this? And so on.
What’s that saying, ’we spend money we don’t have, to buy things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like’. I’ve been guilty of buying things that I didn’t put a lot of thought into, didn’t need & didn’t even like for that matter.
I’ve learned a few things from my 3 month purge of our home, and I wanted to share them with you.
I don’t miss anything I have gotten rid of so clearly I didn’t need or want it.
So much of our money has been wasted on material things instead of experiences, adventures, travel, savings and so on.
Sometimes, I was just filling space for the sake of filling space.
All this stuff is just a distraction and for what? My house is still full.
Decluttering is a mindset shift just like anything else.
I still like & want things but I only want to own the things that I love, bring me joy, make me happy and are meaningful to my life & values.
I’d much rather have extra space, extra time & extra money to spend making memories then excess stuff I do not need or want. I prefer to collect moments not things.
We need much less than we think we do.
I’d rather own a little and see the world then own the world and see very little.
Now, don’t get me wrong, my husband & I don’t live a luxurious or indulgent lifestyle but the modern definition of success is built on things, isn’t it? I’m at a place in my life, however, where I want to live based on my own personal values rather than societies definition of success. As I’ve gotten rid of a bunch of excess stuff, I’ve noticed more freedom in my living space, my time and even in my thoughts. Getting rid of stuff has caused me to ask, what do I love and value the most? What do I really want from life and where do I see myself in the coming years? And, therefore, I’m beginning to feel like I’m living a more genuine, full and intentional life; on purpose and with purpose.
I’m learning to value time in nature, time with my thoughts, love, laughter & travelling over any specific ‘thing’ I could accumulate. There are things, of course, that I chose to keep because I value them & I wouldn’t consider myself a minimalist per say but I am, admittedly headed in a direction of clearing out clutter to add more value to my life and my space. You see my husband & I chat often about our vision, our dreams and about where we see ourselves in the future and well, all of this stuff we have, the stuff doesn't come into play but the adventures and memories we want to make, those things do.
Decluttering will be an ongoing process. My intent is to constantly declutter our space and also be protective of what I bring in. For me, this process will be about a focus on what I truly value as well as a mindset of how I approach stuff, shop & keep things moving forward.
So I bet you are wondering how this relates to health & fitness? And, I guess I was sparked since finding my career passion to really start looking inward to find my true, authentic self. I’ve asked myself questions like, what is it I really want? What do I really value? What is my purpose? And, so on. This process, as I said, has changed me in many ways and as I grow older & the years pass, I learn more and more about what I want & don’t want. Health is about so much more than just workouts and what you eat. SO MUCH MORE!! I don’t want life to just pass me by. I don’t need things to keep me satisfied and happy. I want experiences that make me feel alive. I want moments and adventures. I want to make beautiful memories with the people I love. I want what gives me the most passion and I really want to live my with purpose.
Until next time,
