De-clutter Your Life!

I recently read a book that's climbing up all the best-seller lists. It's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, The Japanese Art of De-cluttering by Marie Kondo.

I felt a little embarrassed when reading it and almost didn't finish. She is an organization expert from Japan and holds some strange philosophies that clash with my Christian beliefs. She suggests you greet your house when you come home at the end of the day, and she suggests things have energy.

I kept reading in spite of my discomfort with some of this. I wanted to get my dime's worth. I'm glad I finished it because there were some good suggestions. I just had to gloss over those things I disagree with.

Her premise is based on the Japanese philosophy of simplicity. Japan is a very crowded country and the homes and apartments are small, so minimalist living is important. Simplicity is reflected in Japanese art, poetry, and architecture.

I've always loved Japanese poetry for its beauty and simple ways of creating images with very few words. Remember studying Haiku in Junior High English?

Back to the book. The author has some sound suggestions for de-cluttering your home. At first, I rolled my eyes at some of it until she made the point that de-cluttering is not the point. She believes simple living frees you to do what is important in life. Now, that resonates with me. So I read on.

I like how she mentions you don't have to go out and buy expensive organizing containers to get your stuff in order. Whole stores are built around the expensive container concept. Instead, she emphasizes purging--keeping only the things you need and love--things that speak to your heart. Once purging is accomplished, organizing and storing becomes quite easy.

Kondo inspired me to tackle my closet, a task I've been putting off for a year. I got myself in a throw-away-mood and took a couple of days to complete the task. And, she was right. Getting ready is a snap when there are fewer decisions to make about what to wear and how to accessorize. I think I'm loving it!

She claims you can do your whole house in six weeks and then get on with living your life. I don't think I have the time or energy to do that but I can take things piece meal. My clothes closet is a good start.

The past few years I've been struggling with my accumulation of stuff. Probably my age puts me in reflective moods. Also, it's a lot of work taking care of things. And, leaving things in order ultimately is a gift to my children. How many horror stories have we heard of children shoveling through the estates of their deceased parents? Most of us don't want to dump that task on our kids.

I have the privilege of sorting through donations at a local transitional housing center. The donations are lovely blessings that help us furnish apartments for those needing help. Some of the items come to us with price tags still in tact. Does that speak to our American abundance? I'm preaching to myself here, folks. I am too often guilty of excess that sometimes gets used very little. A far cry from my Depression-era parents who used up every last bit of toothpaste in the tube! Get what I mean?

Anyway, if you want to read a book that gets you clearing out your closets, this is the one. You may have to ignore some of the Far Eastern thinking but it will inspire you to tackle those hot spots.

Note to friends: now that I've purged my clothes, you're going to see me in a lot of the same outfits. I might not look so good, but you should see my closet. It's a beaut!