Unloading

[cjsmith]

A friend of mine is making wonderful progress on clearing STUFF out of her house. She mentioned how good it feels.

I remember how good it felt to me. I used to be able to get rid of crap, and I always felt better afterwards. It was a weight off my shoulders, a load off my mind, an uplifting of my soul. It was wonderful. I remember.

So why can't I get rid of STUFF any more? I go from one shelf or drawer to the next, and then in mild annoyance I try again in another room, but I'm not truly willing to part with anything I see.

I bet a lot of this has to do with having no paycheck for the last fifteen months. Every object in the house could conceivably - chant it with me now - "come in handy some day". If I can't deceive myself with that tired old line, the object still could be of value to SOMEone, and so it's awfully hard to throw it away. But selling it is a hassle, often more hassle than it's worth. Even finding someone who wants a thing for free is often a hassle. So I don't do anything... and I'm surrounded by STUFF.

Comments

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

I've held on to so much stuff, hauled it all over the planet for so many years, that I've had to resort to using a crowbar to pry my fingers open and let some of it go. *sigh* But let it go I must, I need the room. Things may come in handy someday, but if you can't find them, you don't really have them anyway. Good luck on your winnowing and sorting.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It's good just to hear from others who have been there. I know there are people who have serious difficulties related to hanging on to too much stuff, but those are usually the ones who deny it's a problem. Hearing from people who work at it, and are still connected to reality too, is great.

I'm re-reading "Stop Clutter from Stealing Your Life". Very motivational.