Honest Simplicity

The spring cleaning bug bit me this week and took hold.  I’ve vacuumed up dust bunnies and the insides of drawers, removed tiny toys hiding out under the living room furniture, tossed books and clothes unapologetically into my donation pile, and recycled other odds and ends.  It all feels very gratifying.  Admiring one tidy shelf is quite satisfying.  Emptying out an entire drawer is even better.  Just because I have (share) 6 dresser drawers doesn’t mean I must fill them all.  Don’t you love walking into a room that is free of clutter?  It is soothing to the soul.

How about you?  Have you started your spring cleaning yet?  Do you know where to start?  Identify which area of your house causes you stress and start there.  Is your desk littered with stacks of paper?  Do your bookshelves make you cringe?  Does your closet look like a tornado hit it?  Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and tackle the mess monster?  Avoiding the problem area only adds to the stress.  If you aren’t feeling motivated, start small or have a friend come over to help.  Bring a box into that space and see how many items you can place into it.  Pick up one item at a time and ask yourself whether or not keeping it is helping you reach your goal of a simpler, clutter-free, peaceful home.  If not, give it the boot.  The easiest way to keep a room clean is by having less stuff filling it, which means less stuff to dust around, less stuff to organize, and less stuff to worry about. Period!  Remember that your stuff doesn’t create your identity.  You are the same wonderful deserving person with or without your stuff, after all.