Can You Spare Some Change - Part 2

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I have spent the past couple of months donating/selling belongings that do not add value to my life. During this time, I have also been working on digitizing as much of my papers and photographs as possible. It is unfathomable how, after spending months tackling this, I still find boxes of knick-knacks to go through (Today, I found a large suitcase in the corner of a closet filled with winter clothing I had forgotten about; an entire tuxedo as well). According to an LA Times article (March 21, 2014), the average household contains over 300,000 items! 300,000 “things;” the majority of which, when we are honest, do not add value to our lives. And, still being honest, their very presence absorbs at least some of our mental and physical energy. Whether that energy is spent cleaning and organizing the “stuff” or financing the storage of it in a home that is twice the size it needs to be or in off-site storage units (in the U.S.-alone: a staggering 38 billion dollar-a-year industry!!). Just over 9% of U.S. households finance off-site storage each year.
The U.S. Department of Energy reported that of the homes with two-car garages, only 25% of them can FIT THE TWO CARS! Only 32% of them can fit even one car. Some stats even share that the average person, in an average lifetime, spends 3,680 hours (153 complete days of their lives) searching for lost items (phones, keys, sunglasses, and paperwork top the list).
After months of minimizing the “things” in my life, I still have many a trip left to the donation center. Slowly-but-surely; however, I am beginning to de-clutter. And I want to emphasize that this is a process that de-clutters things THAT DO NOT ADD VALUE to my life. The other stuff; I keep. Of course! I have items that add tremendous value to my life; whether they be practical or emotional. I do not part with these things. But, each time I rid myself of the “junk,” I find I have more mental and physical energy to appreciate the stuff that really does matter.
Just my two-cents! I share it because it has been one of those little life-changers for me. Maybe it’s not for you. Do with it as you will. ðŸ˜Š
I continue to be,

Jamie

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