Do you ever notice how heavy your thoughts are when you think about letting go of something?
You have all these great intentions to declutter and organize your home, but then you realize you make all these excuses of why you need to keep these items.
You feel guilt letting go of something that someone gave to you as a gift. Or that the person who gave it to you will feel hurt and disappointed that you gave away their gift.
- You feel sadness letting go of something that reminds you of a past moment that you don’t want to forget.
- You worry that if you get rid of it now, you may regret it later and need it for something later.
- You are in a state of pride that you bought this item for an intended purpose, and it cost a lot of money, and now you don’t want to think about donating or getting rid of the item because it would then be a waste of your money.
However, you know deep down you don’t need or want these items, but you are trapped by your thoughts and excuses. So, it is easier to just tuck the items away and avoid facing your emotions. Problem solved!
You try and enjoy your home, but there is this heaviness you feel. You’re not sure what it is, but it feels like this burden is lurking in the storage areas of your home, where you have stored all these items you don’t want to face and you keep them because of the emotions you are avoiding.
You don’t know that this burden weighs on you every day and causes you stress, lack of focus, and can cause you health and relationship issues that you are not aware of. Just because you won’t face the clutter and the excuses you are making to keep the items. You feel helpless and overwhelmed and don’t know how to let go of these dusty regrets and obligations you have placed on these unwanted items.
What should you do?
How can you look at your items with an open mind, and let go of the ones that no longer serve you, your life, your health, or your relationships?
Let’s take a look at how you can start to let go of these dusty regrets and obligation…
I highly recommend the Marie Kondo method because you focus on the things you want versus focusing on all the things you should let go of. Marie Kondo has come up with this question of “Does it spark joy?”. What’s unique about this approach is you aren’t focusing on all the negative emotions or the extra items you own that you don’t want… you are actually looking for the things you love, the things that bring you joy.
So, how does the Marie Kondo method help you focus on what sparks joy?
You go through your items by category, so you see how much you own of the same category of items. This makes it so much easier to pick out your favorites, the ones you love, the ones that make you smile when you see them.
- Give yourself permission to let go of items that no longer serve you in what you are doing these days. Give yourself permission to let go of gifts that you have received from others, things you bought with good intentions, but never used. It’s ok to let go.
- Thank your items for serving you. Some people think this is a strange thing that Marie Kondo recommends doing, but if you haven’t tried this, you ought to give it a try. You don’t have to say this out loud, but even saying it quietly, “thank you for being in my life and providing me value, it’s now time for you to go on with your journey with someone else”. It is very freeing. It’s a moment of gratitude you can feel while letting go of those items that have been putting such a heavy burden of emotions onto you.
- If you run across sentimental items, gather those all up and leave those to the end of your tidying process, so you have developed the experience to focus on the things that bring you joy. Take a picture of the sentimental item that you are letting go of. Or set up a small display somewhere that honors the special, sentimental items you want to keep. But be selective, and only keep the items that bring you joy and honor them by showcasing them or storing them carefully.
By going through the Marie Kondo method with all your belongings, you will start to feel as though a weight has been lifted. A sense of freedom and lightness! You may feel inspired, energetic, and alive for the first time in a very long time.
That’s because you have made decisions about those items that carried dusty regrets and obligations that were weighing you down with emotions and excuses. By keeping only what you love, or sparks joy inside of you, you can now focus on living an inspired and joyful life.
Focus on the things you love, not on regrets! Get tidy today!