I must confess...I tend to be a collector and somewhat of a hoarder. Not with everything, just certain things that I personally find meaning in. And although I collect things, the things I collect are very well organized. It is the way I care for them...by keeping them in their righful place. I tend to collect things that are associated with my hobbies. I love to cook--so I have a vast cookbook collection (I could never try all the recipes in my lifetime) and I tend to always have a full pantry with not only staples, but recent foodie finds as well. I also love to read therefore I have a huge bookshelf full of books, some read, mostly waiting to be read. I love buying books, having them for my very own collection. I could spend hours in Barnes and Noble sipping my coffee and perusing the bookshelves looking for just the right book to add to my "must read" collection, that is growing faster than it's diminishing. And of course, my biggest vice is scrapbook supplies. I have more supplies than I, along with all of my scrapbooking friends and family could ever use. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the sb companies keep coming out with more "must have" items. I must say that my collecting of products has slowed down alot and my usage has increased. I'm realizing that I can live with alot less stuff than I have. I've been on a major clean out and reorganize my house kick over the past month. Even tackling under the bathroom sink...seriously, how many bottles of lotion does one girl need? I've been cleaning out sb supplies, cookbooks, books and clothes and passing them on. It feels so good to not have all of the excess stuff out of my house. Now, I'm just trying not to fill my life with more unnecesssary stuff. Everytime I go to a store I've been asking myself, do I really need this? Or can it wait till later. More often than not, it can wait till later...or even better...I never need it. Excess stuff...clutter...truly drains our lives and I believe our spirits as well. Today in my quiet time I read about about this exact topic.
"When asked how he carved beautiful elephants from blocks of stone, a famous Indian sculptor replied that he just chipped away everything that wasn't an elephant. Look at what you do and what you own. Ask yourself "Is this essential? Does this thing or activity enhance my life? Is this necessary, or is it clutter that hinders and hampers me?" Having less of what we don't want frees you to concentrate more on what you do want. Clear time in your calendar for prayer and planning. Create space in your surroundings by eliminating that which no longer serves you."
"Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part that chooses, into something a little different than it was before." C.S. Lewis
Thankfully I'm pretty ruthless when it comes in cleaning out. I don't hold onto things in case I need them later. If I need it later, I'll buy another one. Until then I don't want it to be in my precious space. Brian and I don't have a huge house with loads of closet space, which can be frustrating at times, but in all honesty I like it that way. We have more than we could ever need. More space just equals more stuff and we have all we need for the time being.
So I challenge you to evaluate your possesions and activities. Decide what you need to eliminate so you are free to focus on what's most essential and meaningful to you. For more organizing inspiration go to Aby's blog.
