Wednesday, December 2, 2009

On the Move

In case you're wondering why I haven't blogged in awhile, I've been busy moving to a new apartment. Now, my friend Rosemary says that moving is one of Dante's levels of hell, but I'm actually enjoying it. This move, like everything else this year, is proving to be wonderfully cathartic.

I actually started preparing about two months ago. With past moves, I've usually waited til the last minute and then had full-blown emotional meltdowns from the stress so I was determined to do things differently this time. So after finding my new digs, I started collecting boxes and packing up things. When I got down to it, I realized I could pack at least half the stuff in my apartment because I could easily live without it. That gave me pause. If I can live without something for two months, why do I need it at all?

Then came last Saturday, when the movers discovered that yet another slew of boxes (containing stuff I just had to keep in the last move but that I've been living without for the last three years) came out of the storage unit in the basement crawling with mold. Several of the boxes went straight to the trash, and you know what? It turns out that I didn't need that stuff either.

So now I'm sitting in my new living room, barely able to get to the computer desk with all the piles of stuff surrounding me, and I can't wait to open every single box. I'm looking forward to pulling it all out and going through it and sending a good chunk of this stuff on to new lives with friends or strangers or maybe the nearest recycling center or dump. Because I have a new lease on life this year, and it's given me a powerfully new way to look at everything in my life, be it stuff or thoughts or beliefs.

This year I have learned to ask, Is this serving me well? And if not, why am I hanging on to it? And if I'm not ready to let go of it right this minute but I know I should, what do I need to do to prepare myself to let go? It's so easy to go from day to day, not really examining what's stuffed inside our closets, our drawers, our minds, and our hearts. It's so easy to walk the same steps we've always walked before without ever asking if there's a better route. But this year I was forced to stop that, I've been forced to look and listen and change and let go. And I'm so much better for it. I'll be even better for letting go of a lot of this stuff.

When you free up space, there is room for better ways, healthier thoughts, more creativity. I'm clearing a dance floor in my home and within myself, and baby, I'm ready to dance.




9 comments:

  1. Good for you!!!! My family always tease me about not saving things but not too long ago I pared down to what I could fit in my car. It is so freeing to not be owned by one's possessions. I think I have always been a minimalist. There is beauty is simplicity. Letting go as you mention is making room for new happenings in one's life. May many wonderful things come into yours.

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  2. Jennifer, your post really hit home for me. I've been climbing over clutter both physically and spiritually, lately. Yesterday I bent myself to the task of clearing house. It felt so good! Thank you and best wishes for the coming season of light an life.

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  3. Well said Jennifer, I am off now to declutter myself!

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  4. I read about this great blog post on Robin Cheers' blog. Thank you so much for the lovely 'clearing the dance floor' concept. I'm think of it as your Christmas gift to us...

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  5. Hey Jennifer! I imagine you know I'm back in Ohio. Thought I would see what you were up to. May I recommend "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui." It is FABULOUS. I read it when I scaled down from a three bedroom house to a one bedroom apartment and, then again, when I needed to fit my belongings inside my Town and Country. However, the book is about all kinds of clutter. Hope to see you soon! ---Marianne

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  6. This is a wonderful post, and I'm glad your move is opening up new possibilities and a new start in life for you!

    I've been turning over a post on clutter in my head for a while now for my own blog. Hopefully, I will get that up soon. Creativity and clutter are definitely related.

    Cheers!
    Jennifer Moore
    JenniferLynn Productions, LLC

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  7. Hi Jennifer, Nice to meet you! Glad to meet another constable fan!...I live in Suffolk, but it has only been in recent years I have learned to apprieciate and be inspired by constables paintings!

    His use of tone and his quick impressionistic sketches are amazing, well ahead of his time!

    looking forward to reading more of your blog,

    Ed

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  8. Jennifer, I love this writing about clearing out stuff. That has been on my mind for several months and you have inspired me.

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  9. Love this post. In addition to painting, I am also currently obsessed with streamlining my life. I actually just made a post on my wellness blog about how to decide what to keep and what to let go:

    www.creativelifeskills.blogspot.com

    Please drop by and leave a comment!

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