How clean are you? (Last part)

In deciding to keep or discard an item, I ask myself if that item gives me joy and satisfaction. I try not base my decision on whether I “need” the item, because the answer will invariably always be a “yes”. Through the years, I find that keeping an item, simply because the need for it might arise in the future, is a recipe for gathering more things on your “might need” shelf.

When dealing with clothing, I try to stick to the dictum of buying the best that you can afford. If I invest in better quality items, I will not have the need to accumulate so much. Once, after a session of purging my wardrobe, I was shocked to discover that I had 15 different pairs of black trousers! I also get the kids involved in this exercise. They usually do so reluctantly and with a lot of grumbling, but when they start to see the backs of their wardrobes from the freed-up space, they get into it more enthusiastically! We also get in a lot of laughs at the funny T-shirts they cling to, and the fond memories other items evoke. Sharing a laugh or joke is our way of saying goodbye to these things, things that could now serve a better purpose elsewhere.

Finally, after examining and editing your belongings, comes the task of storage. As you’ve now determined that these items deserve to stay among your possessions, it is but right to treat them with care. Store them properly so that they may continue to serve their purpose well.

I believe that cleaning one’s home also has a remarkable effect on our psyche. Oftentimes we do not realize how attached we’ve become to our possessions until we are forced to make the hard decision of letting go. Once we have made the big leap, once we’ve gained enough confidence to decide which things to keep and which things to let go, the process then becomes cathartic. It certainly has been for us.

Finally, cleaning up doesn’t simply mean paring down on material possessions. It is an important part of the process, true. Ultimately, cleaning up should lead us to the path of subtracting the unnecessary to create more time, energy and growth, as well as contentment, in our lives.