Thursday, July 23, 2009

Is It Time For A Purge?

Note: I actually wrote this a month ago and forgot to post it. However, the feelings are still exactly the same.


One thing I've been thinking about is giving away or donating so much of the "stuff" in my life. I know I've talked about this before when mentioning the Apartment Therapy Cure, but I don't think I was really taking it seriously. I have a lot of stuff waiting for a different life than the one I am currently living. I feel I can't get rid of this stuff because what will happen when I do have an opportunity to use that thingamajig or that deeley-bopper?

Yes, I could force myself to use these things now; I could force my life to fit the stuff OR I could get rid of the stuff and the seemingly accusatory feeling I get when I see these things. Truly simplify my life so that I can just live my life without placing anticipatory pressure on it. You know all the One day...I will need this crap CRAP.

If I haven't needed it for the eight years I've owned it then why is it still taking up space on my shelves?

The thought of a brand new apartment with loads of empty spaces to fill with souvenirs of future trips and tchotchkes picked up along the way does excite me but it is far from what I live with on a daily basis. I think a lot of the stuff I have now gives either the feeling of a life unlived or of temporary place-holders for the "real" stuff rather than me being prepared for whatever might come. Of course I will still hold onto some things like my satin BCBG cocktail gown (I WILL wear that again) and my Maleficent Mardi Gras costume (you never know when you'll be invited to a Disney character theme party, right?) But the little things you just happen to accumulate along the way but wouldn't take with you if your dream home suddenly appeared, well I think I can get rid of them a little ahead of schedule. Maybe it can speed up the process.

Or hey, maybe without the baggage my journey will be easier and less hampered?

4 comments:

drwende said...

When the stuff looks accusatory, it has outstayed its welcome.

If you're going to find out who you'll become, you need space in your life for who you are, rather than storing reminders of who you thought you were going to be.

Ana Herda said...

You might need a friend to help you, outsiders are so much better at identifying what we truly need and what we don't.

lsaspacey said...

Wow! Great advice, both of you!

Becky said...

I definitely recruit friends and/or my mom and sis to help me sift through all my stuff! I've been in an apartment just shy of a year and have started to get rid of things I know I haven't used or worn since I moved in. It feels SO good!