The Purge

Trash or treasure...

It's amazing the amount of things we accumulate in our lives. Over time (and after countless trips to Wal-Mart) we end up with so much junk....how much of it do we really need?

Since deciding to quit my job and stay home, I've been in full "purge" mode, going through rooms and the cupboards and/or closets in those rooms and getting rid of "stuff." If it doesn't mean anything to me, or if I haven't used it or worn it in the past 6 months, it's on its way out. After having three kids (an no immediate or future plans for more) I felt I could have started up a baby supply store on our barn...no joke. It was stifling! Seeing it every day was driving me nuts and I couldn't take it anymore. Something had to be done about it.

In all honesty, I despise having garage sales and think it's a bit weird when I go to them: walking among other people's belongings, judging, debating, wondering about their tastes ("they're selling that?") or having one myself: it's way too much work, and I really don't want to have to "counter haggle" my price on something with a fellow towns-person I may run into in the not-so-far-in-the-future, future. It's just uncomfortable!

So I had a garage sale. And, by garage sale, I mean YARD sale (as we don't have a garage), which ended up lasting not just the initial weekend, but the next week and into the following weekend! See, why move it twice? I figured that by leaving it on tables in my front yard, it would give people plenty of chances to check out the goods.....(ha ha). When it was all said and done (and a whole week of my life gone, evaporated) I made a little cash, and got rid of a bunch of things.

Even better than the meager income I made from the yard sale is the improvement in my health, both physically and mentally: my mind feels more clear, and my shins are less bruised too.  I gave up the need to do the 400M hurdles every day, and gained the increased ability to breathe: the calm that comes with a cleansing breath, so to speak. With less clutter, I feel like I can finally evaluate and appreciate what I have. I can SEE and use the things that have value and meaning to me and in my life. And deep purging may just uncover something valuable that you forgot you had! Using my grandma's silverware means more to me than the set we were using before: half of it was lost to the trash thanks our 2 yr old, I suspect.Quite frankly,  I don't see the point in having something if I'm not going to use it.

So, if you're feeling a bit stifled, suffocated, or like you're drowning in your surroundings, satisfy that urge to purge and try it for yourself. You'll feel much better, your house will look better (or, empty if you happen to take the whole thing too far) and you'll be able to focus on what matters to you most, which isn't actually tangible after all. Deciding to love your life is lovely :)

- Em