Cleansing The Home & The Soul

The Cleansing by HMP ©

Cleansing The Home & The Soul

If you've ever 'purged' a closet or even your entire house, I don't have to tell you how good that feels in the end!  At first, it is uncomfortable because you've hung onto that 'thing' for a reason so getting it out of your life feels like a loss.  It just feels wrong.  It doesn't necessarily feel wrong because you shouldn't get rid of it, but it is feeling wrong because it is out of your comfort zone for some reason.  It's that reason, the reason you can't get rid of items that you no longer need or use, that is vitally important to understand.

There are many different reasons why people fill their lives, homes and offices with clutter, but usually it's because we just can't let go.  We can't let go of the junk.  We can't let go of emotions, we can't let go of the importance (usually false) that we placed on these 'things', we can't let go of anger . . . and the list goes on. 

I once knew a gal named Alice who lived in a large farm house filled with 'stuff.' Alice didn't have much money during and after her marriage ended.  Her ex husband was controlling and used any and all available money for his gambling addiction.  Alice grew up in an atmosphere in which her mother had no organizational skills and hoarded.  Her childhood home was also filled with 'stuff'.  As such, Alice began collecting old discarded chairs, bookcases, coffee tables, lamps during her marriage - in fact, she collected and acquired junk she found at garage sales or even left for the garbage man.  This was not an eclectic attractive decorating display by any stretch of the imagination!  Her house was a garbage dump!  When faced with moving, Alice was confused and overwhelmed.  It was so hard for her to get rid of any of her acquired 'junk.'  It was difficult and she said, "I lived with nothing and so when I got something, it didn't matter what it was, it became 'something' to me - and I felt like I had 'something' at least."  Even though she acknowledge it was junk, it took her six years and several attempts to purge.  Every six months or so, she revisits the stuff she hung on to, and says, "When I open a box of stuff now, that I felt was too precious to throw out or even give away six months ago, I am shocked!  I now can't believe I kept that!"

After Alice's purging, she admits to feeling lighter and freer.  She can make decisions about her life better and particularly about her spending.  She says, "I am super careful about what I decide to spend money on now - I don't want to deal with it later!"  Now that Alice is single, educated and doing what she loves, her money saved is helping to build her dream life!

It is important to go through our possessions and decide what we really need.  Our "stuff" can be a burdon and clog up our thinking.   Figure out what is important to keep and exactly why.  Your answer might surprise you.  As we purge our physical environment, something happens inside that lightens our load and we often have  'enlightenment' about our lives too.  

Purge one closet or cupboard a week - be ruthless and kind at the same time.  Remember that you can give away things that may be useful to the less fortunate, and this act helps the task at hand.