Are You a Clutter Bug?
Recently, USA Today featured an article entitled, “In America, You Are What You Keep.” In the article, the author quotes offbeat comedian George Carlin: “A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it.” Carlin has a routine I remember from the 1970s in which he talks about this stuff. “We’re just tryin’ to get more stuff…gotta keep gettin’ more stuff…gotta have the most stuff.” He goes on and on about where the stuff ends up, and once you get rid of all the excess stuff, a lawyer calls to tell you your aunt died, and she left you all her stuff. It never ends.
It’s not surprising so many companies cater to our need to collect and store our possessions. The self-storage industry is huge, with an estimated 40,000 such facilities in the United States. When faced with moving recently I considered renting a storage unit to keep some stuff—I’ve been a clutter bug for many years. Then I realized that in doing so, I would be prolonging the inevitable, as well as adding an unnecessary expense.
It’s become liberating for me to purge the boxes I’ve hung onto for the past 17 years. It’s an ongoing process, but it’s getting better. In clearing out my closets, I’m freeing up space for new and exciting experiences that will surely come my way.
In the past couple of months, I’ve written about the principles of feng shui, and removal of clutter is a big part of this philosophy. Of course, with feng shui it’s not only physical, but also mental, emotional, and spiritual clutter. In her book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, author Karen Kingston tells us “The simple act of clearing clutter can transform your life by releasing negative emotions, generating energy, and allowing you to create space in your life for the things you want to achieve.”
There’s no room for anything new to enter your life if all of your available space is filled with clutter. Being surrounded by too much stuff can make you feel lethargic. By getting rid of the excess, you free up energy around you and allow a new vitality to enter.
Keep the special things that really make you happy. The rest can be donated, gifted to a loved one, recycled, or sold on eBay. Start your spring cleaning today, and energize yourself and your surroundings. TPW
It’s not surprising so many companies cater to our need to collect and store our possessions. The self-storage industry is huge, with an estimated 40,000 such facilities in the United States. When faced with moving recently I considered renting a storage unit to keep some stuff—I’ve been a clutter bug for many years. Then I realized that in doing so, I would be prolonging the inevitable, as well as adding an unnecessary expense.
It’s become liberating for me to purge the boxes I’ve hung onto for the past 17 years. It’s an ongoing process, but it’s getting better. In clearing out my closets, I’m freeing up space for new and exciting experiences that will surely come my way.
In the past couple of months, I’ve written about the principles of feng shui, and removal of clutter is a big part of this philosophy. Of course, with feng shui it’s not only physical, but also mental, emotional, and spiritual clutter. In her book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, author Karen Kingston tells us “The simple act of clearing clutter can transform your life by releasing negative emotions, generating energy, and allowing you to create space in your life for the things you want to achieve.”
There’s no room for anything new to enter your life if all of your available space is filled with clutter. Being surrounded by too much stuff can make you feel lethargic. By getting rid of the excess, you free up energy around you and allow a new vitality to enter.
Keep the special things that really make you happy. The rest can be donated, gifted to a loved one, recycled, or sold on eBay. Start your spring cleaning today, and energize yourself and your surroundings. TPW