Being Me: Week 11 (Letting go: thoughts and things)

"When you let go you create space for better things to enter your life." 

Being Me: Week 11 - Letting go.... thoughts and things

March theme - All you need is tea and warm socks

For the past several years my husband, Joel and I have talked about down sizing, a task especially obvious after our youngest got his own place. Since I knew this downsize was inevitable, I began decluttering the rooms we have managed to fill in 25 years, a task that has proven to be both liberating and defeating.

It is liberating to make space. Space brings peace. But in that process I am constantly defeated by the memories. Every time I reveal the contents of another box containing my mothers things, I sob and close it up for another day. Most images of life before are difficult to view, the grief remains too fresh. 

Sorting through the things that have become the accumulation of our lives is a daunting, emotional task. Memories attached to each item making the connection more difficult to sever. Overwhelm creeps in and I recuse myself to other duties leaving these judgments for another day. 

Whether sifting through thoughts or things, I slowly eliminate the sadness with patience and grace. Each bag I remove lifts the heaviness from my heart uncovering a freedom that comes with less. Breathing a bit easier, the space softens around me.

Strict with my methods of decluttering, I now must truly love any item I allow to fill the spaces in my heart. Even thoughts which consume too much space must be let go. This process is repeated until I come upon another memory that pulls me towards the spiral of grief and I gently step away.

I have discovered the emotional side of accumulation. The 25 years I buffered grief with things. Avoiding the emotions with distraction that never healed I now understand the journey it takes us on as I finally  let them go.

 Themes for each month to journal, create or contemplate on your journey

January - The best time for new beginnings is now

• 1. Morning routine
  2. Mission statement
  3. Create your YES list
  4. Goals, baby steps, tiny promises
  5. Putting it in motion

February - Before anything else, find yourself, be yourself and love yourself

• 1. Take care of your body
  2. Meditation and solitude
  3. Food choices and ideas for change
  4. What makes you happy

March - All you need is tea and warm socks

1. Enjoy the simple things
2. Letting go: thoughts and things

• April - Water your roots so your soul can blossom
• May -  The difference between a flower and a weed is judgment
• June - Believe you can and your halfway there
• July - Bold stripes, bright stars, brave hearts
• August - We are who we choose to be
• September - Sometimes we can learn and study & know, and sometimes we have to believe, trust and hope
• October - We can't become what we want by remaining what we are
• November - Small seeds of gratitude will provide a harvest of hope
• December - Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of hope

Mission Statement:  I will improve my overall health and wellness, use kindness and inspiration with a vision that creates  a community of giving and in doing so achieve my purpose in this life.  

Being Me weekly blog posts