Organizing with Honesty & Acceptance

I’ve really never had a boring conversation on a plane, have you?
 
This month I made two trips to Tucson and took with me “The Minimalist Home” by Joshua Becker. Neither trip yielded significant amounts of reading though. As I pulled out the book…conversation sparked.
 
The retired and adorably chatty baby boomer couple beside me proceeded to share their recent downsizing story.
 
Three grown children.
Deceased parents.
Zest for travel.
 
They longed for a more simple life. One that better supported this new phase.
And so it began...  
Sort. Purge. Sort. Purge. (Repeat).
And move.
 
Three years later – they now confidently live with just the things they love and use.
 
My decluttering-obsessed-brain was nerding out! I was so thrilled for them!
 
As we landed in Arizona, the woman asked –
What do YOU think is the one key to organizing?
(Whoa, pressure…)
 
I had to pause.
But not for long - my heart was clear.
 
It’s honesty. Pure, genuine, and sometimes veeerrryyy brutal honesty.
When we are honest, we can begin to accept.
And acceptance frees us to move forward.
 
Yes, yes, and yes! This made such sense.
 
Why? It’s exactly what I had to do to tackle my own home and life.
Get honest. Accept. Move forward.
(This is an on-going process by the way – let’s not kid ourselves!)
 
The woman nodded.
 
I could not agree with you more. I’ve been holding on to a whole set of my daughters’ Barbie’s. She didn’t want them back with two older boys who were long past interested.
 
I had to get honest and ask myself – what am I hanging on to?
It was so clear – I was holding on to my baby girl and the wonderful times we had playing together when she was little.
 
Once I recognized that, I could more easily let go of the collection. It became less about the thing, and more about the memory. - which I was never, never, going to lose.
 
(Are you crying yet? I was. It hit home.)
 
Sooooo…
What can you start getting honest about?
(Oh yeah, I went there)

• What's next for you?  Spiritually? Mentally? Physically? Emotionally?
• How do you want to live this next chapter or new phase?
• What “stuff” is supporting you and what “stuff” is holding you back?

 
Let’s talk!