Confession: I'm disorganized. I know this. I also hate this about myself. Every single day I search for something I have misplaced.
It's time to walk out the door. Damn! Where are my keys? In my purse. Where is my purse? With my coat. Where is my coat? I finally find all that but now, of course, I'm late. Now, where is that map I printed out of the place I'm going?
It's my own fault. I know this, too. I don't put things away when I should and so they pile up. Then, when I need that space, such as the top of the kitchen table so that we can eat dinner, I move the pile. I will go through it at another time. But here's the kicker--another time never presents itself. But another pile does. And another.
I think this is how hoarders start.
The piles and piles aren't just piles of stuff. They are piles of intentions. If I toss it all without even sorting through it, haven't I failed because I never actually accomplished what I intended to do? With those discarded piles I'll be throwing away even the mere opportunity to fulfill the intention.
But it's a new year. Time for a new perspective. So I've chosen to understand that with those discarded piles I'll be throwing away the mounds of failure I have associated with them.
Do you know how much 3 bags of shredded paper and 5 boxes of books and 3 loads of donations weigh? As I extract all that from my office, up the stairs, and out of my house I noticed the weight of it. It's heavy! It's difficult to move when I'm carrying so much. Then I think, no wonder I felt, at times, as if I were slogging through life during the last 2 years. Look at the baggage I created for myself.
And now that's it's gone, look at the space I've created for myself. Space to think, to feel, to live. My office and my life are now full of potential rather than self-defeating clutter. It feels pretty good.
I grab my keys, my purse, and my coat and head out the door. I don't need a map. I know exactly where I'm going.
Where are you headed in 2010? What do you need to do to get out of your own way to make sure you get there?
My mom was a hoarder. She passed her bad habit onto me, but at least I recognize it. I haven't fixed it yet, but soon. Very soon.
ReplyDeleteWishing you the best of luck!!
It took me a long to realize the reason I hoard things is so that I'd be prepared for whatever came along. I wanted to be the go-to gal when anyone needed anything. And for years I was.
ReplyDeleteIt was my way of taking care of the people around me. Since my kids are older I have begun to relieve myself of some of the junk. Really I have. (grin)
OK. You have nagged me-um-inspired me!- to comment on your blog. First off, the excuses- I am not a blogger or a surfer. I don't get on Facebook and can't figure out how to tweet, so feel fortunate that I am actually taking a moment to try and figure out how to do this. I do not blog also because I figure not only do I not have anything interesting to say, but even if I did who would care? I have read yours, however. So comments? Well, I am not a hoarder.I give tons of our stuff to DAV all the time, constantly clearing out closets and drawers. I do not keep much of anything extra around. Except for sets of dishes in 5 different colors so I can set the perfect table for what ever occasion comes up. And of course amazing serving bowls of all shapes and sizes for serving meals at these dinners. Oh, and various tablecloths and napkins in a wide variety of textures and color patterns on which to create the perfect table scape. Numerous candles in a rainbow of shades and holders constructed in a multitude of metals in which to provide the perfect lighting to enhance the effect of the dining environment. But I am not hoarding dining room equipment I NEED all those things!!
ReplyDeletetclark--Thank you for stopping by!!! And I agree, you are not a hoarder. You might need all of those things one day and hoarders don't keep things because they think they might need them some day. Oh, wait. Um. Well, thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteYou do set a beautiful table.
I love it when people comment because it helps me to see if I have made the point I intended to. It's interesting to see what message people take from my post. For example, this blog was meant to get people thinking about what is stopping them in moving towards their goals. But I see I didn't really address it properly if that's the conversation I wanted to inspire. Instead, people are focused on the hoarding aspect. However, I think we all have some level of hoarder in us. It has been said that some people hang onto their burdens more than their burdens hang onto them. Or something like that. So maybe, on second look, we each have addressed that piece of us--whether it is a habit passed on by a parent or the need to be the go-to gal or the obsession--I mean hobby-- of creating the perfect tablescape. As long as there is acknowledgement and balance I think we'll all be ok.