Cleanse The Physical and the Emotional Clutter
The shoes I no longer wear are still in a box in the corner of my wardrobe. They are gorgeous shoes. Why can I not let them go? There are clothes in my wardrobe which I have not worn for a very long time, even though I know the rule. "If you have not worn them for a year, out they must go". These objects do not find the exit on their own. They need some help to leave the building, unlike Elvis. He found it easy to leave both the building and the planet, despite hundreds of sightings of "The King", I believe he really has gone.
The P45s for jobs which I left more than 20 years ago are also filed away in my in my filing cabinet. I do not think I will let go of those because they are proof that I did them, just in case I decide to return to the corporate world and work for yet another bloodsucking multinational. Not! I am very grateful for all I learnt and achieved but I am extremely content with my teaching jobs, writing and I am about to buy a new sewing machine to get back with an old love, sewing.
Keys for cars which I no longer own live in a drawer with their good friends. The keys to houses I moved out of years ago, USB charger cables which do not work, pegs, cable ties and duct tape, batteries and boxes of matches. I would say, bars of chocolate which have been hidden so that they do not get eaten, at least by me, but they only manage to live in a confined space for about half an hour, if that. They escape, never to be seen again, along with the single socks and gloves, nail files and hairpins.
"Marie Kondo, I need you". I read an artilce recently about applying her organising skills to our friendship wardrobe, which I have done gradually throughout the years, especially whilst living in Madrid. You leave everyone in a far off land. Relationships which were not necessarily toxic just blur, eventually disappearing from the radar.
Why is it that the toxic people who have been removed from our existence still show their faces far too often in the imagination? The lack of healing perhaps, or forgiveness, or both, plus the time, energy and love you have dedicated to those relationships. Friendships expire. How do we focus on the good times, be thankful for the lessons and, most importantly, cut the rope? One thing is the knowledge that the image in our minds needs to shrink, the other entirely is being able to effect change.
I am going to be brave today. I will put the shoes in the donation pile. I shall remove at least 3 items of clothing from my wardrobe which I can release for somebody else to enjoy. I am also going to sort through the tool box to find the screws to fix the chair. Marie would be proud of me. Finally I need to work on shrinkage, of my overwhelming thoughts, and my waistline. Wish me luck. I really feel like a lot of my spare flesh is emotional, I don't eat that much, although I admit to not doing enough esercise, at least consistently.
Thank you, Marie for your wisdom. I am so sorry you had to suffer so many green-eyed haters. You are an example to us all. You have never let it stop you from helping others.
What are my friends going to do today to unclutter their homes or their minds?
Lots of love light and shrinkage to you all.