Holding on vs. moving on: Perspective Shift
As part of our month-long focus on shifting our perspective, this week we’re going to be talking about decluttering and why it’s so difficult. The process typically starts with a phone call that initiates a first consultation. It is during the consultation that I’ll hear the following:
- I know I have to let some things go.
- I’m embarrassed to show this room, but…
- Can you believe I have been holding on to …
My first reaction is always the same. I begin with, “I don’t judge. What you are showing me is so common." The truth is, it IS so common with what I see. Many of my clients who want to fall in love with their homes have some kind of issue with ‘stuff’. They sometimes think it’s an issue with space, and while there are some poorly designed spaces out there, most often than not it is an issue with too much.There is a lot written on the psychology of clutter. Although I am not a psychologist, I do read a lot on the psychology of clutter and try to find different ways to help my clients. I came across this fantastic article on this topic. In this article, it starts with the following:
“When we create environments that are cluttered, messy, stressful, and overwhelming, (or even neat and tidy but no longer supportive of who we are and who we want to be) we have a corresponding level of clutter, overwhelm and stress inside as well – all of which keep us from living and being our best. “ Click for the article here.
The perspective of holding on to moving on takes a lot of courage, a lot of self-discipline, and a ton of inner strength. When I work with clients, we typically work for 4 hours per session. The reason is that not only can it be physical work, it is most definitely mentally exhausting work. It’s true. Making decisions to move forward from holding on to moving on are not easy. So when it comes time to making decisions on what needs to stay and what should go, I often talk about thinking about their things in a different way.
6 Perspective Shifts
Whether it’s a special craft that your child made for you in kindergarten, or it’s a trinket that has been passed down to you, or whether you couldn’t pass up on the sale, there are ways to decided if it’s ‘keep worthy’. The Minimalist does a fantastic job in providing 6 powerful thoughts:
- I am not my stuff; we are more than our possessions.
- Our memories are within us, not within our things.
- An item that is sentimental for us can be useful for someone else.
- Holding on to stuff imprisons Letting go is freeing.
- You can take pictures of items you want to remember.
- Old photographs can be scanned.
You can read the entire article here.
India Arie has a great song titled “There’s Hope”. Part of the song goes like this,Back when I had a littleI thought that I needed a lotA little was overratedBut a lot was a little too complicatedYou see, zero didn't satisfy meA million didn't make me happyThat's when I learned a lessonThat it's all about your perceptionsYou know that there's hopeIt doesn't cost a thing to smileYou don't have to pay to laughYou better thank God for thatHere's to taking the steps to move forward, to live in the present (and not the past), and to smiling and laughing - living the life you deserve!
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