Today I enrolled myself in Uncluttered – a course in decluttering offered by Joshua Becker, guru of minimalism; some have called this course life-changing. Sounds good to me; it’s time to start clearing out all the junk that is standing in the way of us realizing our dreams.
I’m looking forward to beginning the course. Our house is filled with stuff . Stuff left by our grown children when they moved out. Stuff inherited from my aunt when she passed away last year. And stuff that has just accumulated over the years. I’m ashamed to say there are several rooms that are beginning to look like they belong in an episode of Hoarders.
Clearing out stuff is is our # 1 priority. We want to downsize and possibly relocate in the next couple of years, as well as do more travelling. My husband and I both feel weighed down by our possessions. We’ve made several stabs at clearing the clutter, but the job is so big & overwhelming, it’s easy to get discouraged. I’m hoping this course will provide the motivation we need to get the job done.
I also don’t want to leave this mess behind for our kids to have to deal with after we’re gone. ( I read a good book about this subject last year, They Left Us Everything: A Memoir, by Plum Johnson.)
Like many people, I hang on to stuff for sentimental reasons – usually because the thing in question was a gift or is invested with the memory of someone I love. But I also have trouble letting go of things that represent former versions of myself, especially books and craft supplies left over from former interests and pursuits.
I shared this idea with another student in the course who responded: “I also hold on to things that represent a potential version of myself – I need to become it or ditch the unused props.” This idea also resonated with me. It’s exciting, processing this concept of the letting go of past and future selves in order to fully realize who we truly are now, in this present moment.
Now I know the reason why this quote jumped out at me when I was reading Paul Coelho’s book, The Zahir:
