Have you ever heard the phrase? The things you own end up owning you.
In August of 2021, in the height of the real estate market we unexpectedly came to a junction in our lives that caused us to sell our home. Now I know that statement raises a lot of questions, but those questions will have to wait for another time.
In preparing to get our home show ready. I immediately focused on the number one thing I tell my clients to do. Declutter, Declutter, Declutter. After all, I should practice what I preach, right!
At first the job of decluttering seemed daunting, overwhelming.
We are a family of 8. In addition we were about to move from a 2400 square foot home to a 1400 square foot walk up apartment. We were about to lose 1,000 square feet. The simple truth summed up in the age old adage, “ You can’t take it with you.”
To begin, my plan was to focus on the kids' stuff, tackle the hardest thing first.
Step one was to determine what stuff belonged to who. This may or may not have included fighting and tears. I will leave it up to your imagination to decipher.
Once we determined who owned what, we got rid of the broken things, or things that seemed to be precious, but also seemed to look like they were dug out of the trash. At this point I was convinced that my children were hoarders. Where in the world did this trait come from!?!
Next, we streamlined the duplicate items. Giving away the excess to those who might be in greater need of said items.
Then, we gave each of the children a tote. Inside of said tote went their favorite items they would like to have access to during the showing process. This step was for the sake of showing the home “and keeping it clean, HA.”
The rest we packed, and set in the garage to be loaded onto the moving truck when the fateful day arrived.
Whew! Having my millionth cup of coffee I took a deep sigh of relief. The biggest and hardest chunk of decluttering was behind me. I was ready to tackle my own stuff………so I thought.
I naively thought I would start with all the things in storage areas of the home. That should be easy. Noone ever sees that stuff anyway, and it will be easy to get rid of unwanted items because it’s not like I look at them or need them on a daily basis. Yeah, yeah. This should be easy right?
Wrong.
All at once I had a very clear revelation of where my children got their hoarding skills from. ME!!!!
Why was I holding on to all this stuff?
A sweater I haven’t worn for at least a year. Why, because I might like to pair it with something I might buy in the future. Waste not want not.
Pre-pregnancy pants. Reality check. I have 6 children. You guys, my oldest is 14!! I HAVE BEEN HOLDING ON TO THESE PANTS FOR 14 YEARS, WHAT, WHY? Because maybe one day I will fit back into them.
A purse that was gifted to me, and I never onced used. Why in the world was I keeping it? The answer, because if I got rid of it I was worried that the person who gave it to me would find out and they would be upset with me for getting rid of it. Or be offended that I didn’t like their taste in style.
We are starting a new chapter in our lives. I don’t want to pack these things up and move them into our new place just so they can clutter that place up too!
This got me thinking. What are the things from my past, or present for that matter, I am holding on to, that I don’t want to take with me into this next season of life we are embarking on?
What am I lugging around in my heart and mind that are weighing me down? Anchoring me to the person I was in the past, a person, who no longer exists. Even in the good events and memories, I can get stuck in a moment of glory from my past and miss out on the amazing plans God has for my life right here, right now.
Confronted with these thoughts, I chose to linger in them, take a break. I grabbed my journal, sat down, and began to process and pray myself through this revelation of decluttering my heart along with my home.
Do you know what is beautiful? That you dear reader, don’t have to wait until you move to intentionally declutter your home and your heart. What better time is there, than the beginning of the year or a new season, to take an inventory of what is cluttering up your pathway to the new places and spaces you are being beckoned into?
Dare to imagine a life with less. Less stuff, less clutter, less stress, less debt, less discontentment. Ultimately in the end you will have more than you could ever dream of.
Trust me I am living proof.
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