I've been helping people organize and simplify their lives and spaces for 8.5 years now and I've seen a lot of stuff. One of the things I do is act as a mediator of sorts between my clients and their stuff. I help them escape from the emotional chains they're...
bound by when trying to let things go. Sometimes it's tough, and some people are more open to letting go than others. I do my best to reframe the whole situation so they can feel good about it emotionally, rather than feeling as if they're "losing" something that's a part of themselves.
I know we all have sentimental attachment to things in our lives and I believe it's just our nature. It's part of what makes us human beings. However, when the attachment is so great to nearly everything, and we feel as though we have no choice in the matter, it becomes a problem and an obstacle in the way of our happiness and quality of life. My job is to come in and be an equalizer, helping people to begin to take back their power over their things, to loosen the emotional ties, and get them to a place where they decide what is most important and special, and what's just taking up space.
And listen, I'm human too. I have emotional attachments to physical items just like you do. The difference is that I am very clear on who's in control, and it's me -- not my stuff. I'm very clear that in order to make space in my life to be me, to live and work the way I want to, and to deliver my gifts and talents to the world, it's crucial that I take charge of my life.
I get to decide what stays and what goes, and I get to choose what items are worthy of my time, space and attention. The items themselves have no inherent sentimental value other than the value I assign them. And neither do yours.
So begin taking control of your life by asking yourself, "What do I value?" Do you value the space you'll clear in your life by letting this thing go, or do you value the guilt you feel about letting it go? Do you value the thing itself, or are you just afraid of making a change? Only you can decide. But until you do something different, you'll continue to live the way you've been living. When you do something different, you put yourself in motion and you begin down a whole new road with the possibility of creating drastically different results. Are you willing to take that chance?
