Clear Clutter - My Story

Change comes, one page at a time...


Have you ever read a book that changed your life?  Let me tell you about the book that changed mine.

I was working at Wonderworks (a sweet bookstore I used to manage) when a book caught my eye.  The title was "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston, and I brought it along to lunch one day, and the next day, and the next.  I had always been curious about Feng Shui, but this was the first book I read that made any sense to me.

I was relieved to find the book an easy read and enjoyed imagining my space being clutter-free.  I had a feeling that this book would become like all the other half-read self help books on my shelf, never leaving the realm of my imagination to take root in my life.  Needless to say, I was wrong.

A few weeks after reading "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" something changed inside of me.  For the first time in my life, I felt motivated to look at my clutter.  I faced my closet with hope and an empty garbage bag and pulled a t-shirt off the shelf and put it in the bag.  I waited 5 minutes...  took the t-shirt out and put it back on the shelf.  I obviously was not ready to clear clutter that day, but it was an important first step.

A few days after my first attempt I braved my closet again and this time I must have been ready because I filled four garbage bags full of clothes.  There were some things in those bags I never thought I could get rid of, but I felt strangely at peace with my decisions.  It was time for something new in my life, I wasn't sure what, but I was ready for change.

Despite my feeling of peace, those garbage bags sat in the middle of my bedroom floor for three weeks.  I guess I needed to take my time in letting go and when I was ready I made a trip to the Goodwill.

Those four garbage bags were the first of many to leave my home as I spent the next year going through layer after layer of clutter and asking myself more and more difficult questions. 

The most difficult layer for me was when I asked myself the question "Does this represent who I am now, or who I used to be?".  Boy, was that a toughie, because as I looked around my room, I found I didn't really connect with most of the things I saw. 

I honestly believe that letting go of that last layer and all those that have come before and after have helped me to become who I am today. Was it scary?  YES!  Was it easy?  NO!  Am I grateful I stepped into my fear?  YOU BETCHA!

If you are new to clutter clearing I invite you to start with one small step.  You don't need to do it all at once perfectly.  You just need to take one step at a time.  Standing in front of my closet with an empty garbage bag was mine.

I would love to hear other people's stories about their first attempt at clearing clutter.  Send your stories to spaceforlife@gmail.com and if you are willing, let me know if I can share them on my website.  I would also love to hear about a book that changed your life.

Happy Clutter Clearing!
Cecilia Moorcroft