Cleaning Out More Than Just Your Closet
My apologies for not getting this post out yesterday as we were hit with a storm like many others last night and lost power for the rest of the evening. It was a reminder of how much we rely on electronics for entertainment purposes: my phone died, my iPad wasn’t charged, the internet wasn’t available and we had no TV. I don’t know how anyone survived before all of these things existed! Anyways, I can save that topic for another day as this week I am talking about something else.
This summer has seemed all too hectic, not from work, but from the fact that I am moving twice this month. I moved to a new place this past Friday downtown and my family is also moving in about three weeks, despite my bitter feelings towards it. But, for those that know me personally, I really don’t need to go into those details again for all of you.
Moving has sparked a whole lot of emotions, some exciting, as my boyfriend and I just moved into a brand new condo, and some sad feelings, as I say goodbye to my family home I grew up in for 18 years of my life. It is the start of a new chapter, but boy has moving and sorting things doubly been overwhelming for me. Despite how I am feeling, excited or not, I have been able to reflect on all that I have and all of the memories shared. Even if you aren’t moving, the end of the summer is a great time to purge, reorganize, and take inventory on what you have before things kick into full swing again. I rediscovered school projects from elementary school that my dad threw out before we learned to appreciate our hard work, books I forgot I had in my apartment, and so many other things. It was a great time to reminisce and then survey what I would keep and what I could pass along to someone else or throw away.
A big thing my parents have always taught me is that there are people less fortunate than us, and so, every time I sort through my clothes in my closet I think of that. I decide that if I haven’t worn that article of clothing enough, I know there is someone else out there who would appreciate it and put it to good use. Now,by all means, I don’t have a small closet (thanks Nike for all of the wonderful apparel), but I do take the time to try and shrink it every so often. I have realized that when our minds become cluttered with life’s challenges, organizing our closets, apartments, and homes, can give us some sense of clarity andcontrol because, hey, at least have one thing is organized.
Sorting, packing, and unpacking has allowed me to truly appreciate all that I have and I think we could all use that small reminder every once in a while. We don’t have to be moving to do this. Just take an hour or two every time a season changes and get organized. This will not only benefit your house, but your mind as well. We can lower our stress and anxiety levels when we have that sense of organization over the things we have the ability to control; clearing out our closets, clearing out our mind. By organizing the things we have, it builds that sense of being able to take charge of our lives. We can then make space in our heads to really focus on what is important when life gets busy and things become challenging.
Be fierce. Be strong. Be vibrant.
Rachel
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