CLUTTER BUSTER

I have been struggling with clutter recently! I mean, everywhere I look there's clutter. No matter what I do, it just creeps up, even if I stay as organized as I can possibly be. I guess it doesn't help that I live with litter bugs to begin with, but still! 

In an effort to clean up, I have been segregating clutter into piles. I separated it into things that should be thrown, kept or given away. I didn't include a pile for stuff that should be sold because let's get real, I wouldn't be able to get rid of those anytime soon for lack of buyers. And because I am all so anal about it, I even segregated the stuff to be thrown into paper, plastics, biodegradable, non-biodegradable and recyclables - WHEW! You're probably thinking that is a lot of work just to throw stuff out! And you're right! But, it does make things easier to sort out in the long run. 

So anyhoo, after categorizing all of the clutter, you'd think it would look a little less clutter-y, but no!!!! It's still cluttered because it's just THERE! Except for the biodegradable stuff, I haven't gotten rid of everything yet! And, it's annoying!!! I just want to haul everything out of the house, you know? But, I have to patiently wait for the paper guy and for the plastics guy to come by our house, not to mention the garbage truck which just comes by once a week! 

In doing all of this cleaning and organizing, I have realized that there really is a lot of stuff lying around the house that are not used. Some things that are in storage are slowly forgotten with time. And I feel that I have to get rid of some of them for my sanity. I need to free up space. I also need to give these things to other people who might actually use it. Instead of letting these things gather dust, someone out there surely needs one of the things I have, so I need to give them away. The saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure" rings so true in this case.

I also realized that I need to be a minimalist. To prevent future clutter, I need to be as simple as I can possibly be, only buying essential things that are necessities. If it's something that I want to get just for the heck of it, and if I can live without it, then I don't have to buy it. I learned that the hard way and I have been living with it day by day. Besides, being simple doesn't mean being boring. It just means being wiser and prioritizing needs over wants. Plus, it's way more economical!

It is easier said than done though. I must admit I had a hard time sorting things out because my emotions came into play. I wanted to keep some of the things that I don't really need for sentimental reasons. But, at the end of the day, I had to be realistic. I have kept it for long and I will remember the memories but I must learn to let go of the keepsakes that could still be used by others.

I am very thankful to have a lot of blessings and to be given numerous gifts. But, I feel that I shouldn't let it stop at me. Instead of keeping these gifts to myself, I think it would be better to share it with others. That way, the gifts that I received will keep on giving. Especially to the unfortunate ones who need it most.

So, I guess cleaning up is good for the soul after all. It makes things easier at home and other people can benefit from it. Not to mention the lessons of cleanliness, discipline, generosity, gratitude and simplicity that I have learned while being a clutter buster. Who would have thought I'd get all that from cleaning, huh? ;-)

And to think I hated cleaning before because I am so allergic to dust that I always ended up being sick afterwards! (I now use a dust mask to prevent allergies)

I set out to clean the house, but I'm glad that I ended up cleaning my heart, mind and soul at the same time. :-)

I'm sorry that this post is way too long, but I hope it somehow inspired you guys to:

be:

and:

X♥X♥!