Practicing the Fine Art of Letting Go (of Your Stuff)

My personal interests usually involve domesticity. Martha Stewart I am not, but I was born to putter, clean, organize and beautify. I love learning new things and tend to immerse myself in whatever topic or hobby I am tackling.  And if I get to learn about something I can do at home then I am one happy camper.

When my kids were very young (they’re in elementary school now) I decided needed to learn about frugality (Hello, one income), simplified living (homemade everything, cloth diapering Mom at your service) and cooking (Jacques Pepin, I owe you a lot). I read loads of books, hung out on forums and subscribed to blogs by the handful. I read, I learned, I practiced, I integrated and then…

I moved on.

I evolved. My kids got older and so did I. I learned all that I needed to learn and found that I didn’t need those resources any more. What had been new and exciting eventually became clutter to me. So I unsubscribed from blogs, stopped dropping in on forums and happily passed on my books, cloth diapers and that blasted yogurt machine I never could figure out how to use. I kept a few of my favorite cookbooks because they still inspired me and I passed on the rest.

I needed to make some space for the people we were changing into.

Hanging on to old stuff that you don’t need, love or use doesn’t serve the person you are right now. My 10 year old can’t stuff himself into the shoes he wore when he was five. And I can’t stop my kids from getting older by saving every last drawing they made or every toy they’ve played with. Their tastes have changed so their belongings should mirror that.

We all need the room to grow and breathe.  Be true to who you are right now.

So tell me, do you have some stuff from a time in your past that you could let go of? A hobby, sport or interest that no longer suits you? Maybe you could pass it on to someone who could better use it or maybe it’s simpler to pass it on to a charity instead. It could be as simple as unsubscribing from some emails or rss feeds. What can you let go of to make room for something fresh and new to come into your life?

photo by: Beshef