You Shouldn’t Take It With You.
(486 words, 2 minute read.)
Reusable packing bins. I highly recommend them.
My husband and I closed on a house at the beginning of September, and my life and all my belongings were instantly tossed into the air. I am living in a snow globe of packing, unpacking, and construction work. Moving is stressful. It tops the list, along with the death of a loved one, divorce, major illness or injury, and job loss.
But Why?
It should be about a new beginning, the excitement of buying new stuff, and the relief of finally having an excuse to toss or donate the old stuff. It should be a chance to create the “us” we always fantasize about. I will admit I am wrapped up in these social norms, too.
I have made it a habit to pare down my belongings as I go. I regularly get rid of things that don’t fit, are unfixable, or don’t serve me anymore, but I was a bit bewildered by the amount of stuff I still have. As I sat on the floor in my office, I stared at the boxes of paper. Too many boxes. Paper and the ideas imprinted on them is my kryptonite. I wanted to sort through everything as I packed, but it was hard because it brought up a lot of past emotional garbage. I wrote in my journal:
“It is time for me to let go. It is time for me to realize all the things I want to do before we move will not be done. I have to pick and choose what I can handle and what will have to wait until I get there….It is interesting that my need to have everything in its place and stored away is in direct conflict with my fear of letting go and that I might need it in the future….I can’t believe how much stuff I have. I really want to get a handle on this. It’s not healthy for me to be holding on to shit I don’t even know I have!”
I know I need to find a balance between looking to the future, sorting through the past, and living in the present. Maybe the top life stressors are so unsettling because they force us to juggle between the three realms simultaneously. We humans hate to do this juggling and will do anything to avoid it. But the paradox is that avoiding life stressors and how they affect the three realms will eventually shove us right into the middle of an unpleasant situation. It can’t be avoided.
Moving is stressful, indeed. My present apartment isn’t home anymore, and I haven’t had the chance to nest in the new house. So, I will be in limbo for the next couple of months. I have to accept that. I decided I had to be tough and get to work purging; Swedish Death Cleaning, here I come!
Swedish Death Cleaning - https://youtu.be/XZZ4jgev_CU?si=-kEtwYIV0v28quyS
Myths about decluttering - https://youtu.be/CoM0w0Cxebw?si=6hz3wlwxSYP4cYkL
