Fueling The Urge To Purge

With the holidays upon us and perhaps you have guests arriving soon, there's never been a better time than NOW to purge.  Remember when you cleaned out that closet in the Spring and the feeling you got was so much lighter, like a huge load had been lifted?  Well wouldn't it be nice to have that feeling every season?  I don't think enough attention is paid to that prouder feeling that comes from cleaning stuff out of our lives.  So that is why I say let's decide now that you're going to start a new monthly, weekly, or even daily ritual of throwing things out and letting things go.  Imagine...you could change the world!  (Or least YOUR world).  What a great place to start!


So how do you know what to throw out?  Luckily, the rules of disengagement are really simple:


One.  If it-the thing, the belief or conviction, the memory, the job, even the person-weighs you down, clogs you up, or just plain makes you feel bad about yourself, throw it out, give it away, sell it, let it go, move on.


Two.  If it (see above), just sits there, taking up room and contributing nothing positive to your life, throw it out, give it away, sell it, let it go, move on.  If you're not moving forward, you're moving backward.  Throwing out what's negative helps you rediscover what's positive.


Three.  Don't make the decision-whether to toss it or keep it-a hard one.  If you have to weigh the pros and cons for too long or agonize about the right thing to do, throw it out.


Four.  Don't be afraid.  This is your life we're talking about.  The only one you've got for sure.  You don't have the time, energy, or room for physical or psychic waste.

Gail Blanke, Throw Out Fifty Things-Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life.