Stuff

Happy Sunday everyone!
I'm not sure what has gotten into me, but I think I am "nesting". The last two weekends I have cleaned out closets, file cabinets and drawers. Perhaps it is that the holidays are beckoning or more likely that I cannot stand disorganization or clutter. For me a cluttered house equals a cluttered mind. I do not judge against those that can overlook the accumulating piles in their homes and offices. To each his own, but for me I cannot function at full capacity under those conditions. It always amazes me how much "stuff" us humans accumulate. I had a burning fire pit all day long yesterday of filed paperwork from the past year.
In the last 23 years I have moved 10 times and as much as I hate to move, it always was an opportunity to clean out the non-essentials and start fresh. I am a pretty basic kind of girl. I definitely live by the "a place for everything and everything should be in its place" motto. Trust me, I like nice things like the rest of us, but if I do not use something on regular basis, I do not feel the need to hang on to this "stuff". Yes, there are the exceptions of the holiday decorations, family heirloom pieces and sentimental items that I will never part with. Such as photos, my grandmother's table and vase or my rocking chair from when I was a child. Those have emotions tied to them and are things I will pass on to my children someday. What I do question is why it is hard for people to let go of the other "stuff". The things that you can't let go of that you do not need or use. Perhaps donating them will give someone else the opportunity to enjoy them and in turn give you a sense that you are helping another. Recycling at it's finest!
Your stuff does not define you! The amount of square footage in your home does not define you! The amount of things you accumulate does not define your wealth. The type of car that you drive and the designer names on your clothes does not define your status! Maybe these things are tied to a specific time in your life...the past. Perhaps it is time to let go of things and emotional ties from the past and start anew! Define yourself by the values you hold dear, the family you have created, the friends that you surround yourself with, the memories you have collected and the depths of your heart. Purging can be good for the mind and the soul, making room for the future and for better things to come.

Just Sayin',
Christina