Release the Clutter: My Goodwill Addiction

I have a Goodwill addiction. My  husband will tell you. He sometimes asks when I bring home something new...Is that going into the Goodwill Box next month?  lol...My intentions aren't all goodwill, but lets face it, Goodwill provides jobs to many people so supporting that is not a bad thing. My intentions are, its a great place to drop off my emotional baggage.  That is what the clutter is to me.

I am having this conversation in my head right now, because its Christmas and we brought new things into our homes...so things have to go.

I live in a house, well, that HAD no closets for 12 years. I have a few now.  I don't want them to turn into clutter, because for 12 years, I did n't have to clean out closets and it was pretty nice.

I make a trip to the Goodwill at least once a month with a drop off.  Ya know, "Get rid if anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful."  My emotional clutter.  You can't take it with you when you go anyway.  There are things I have to have of course, my childrens pictures, books, that I won't part with until my death.oh the books...books...that I do struggle with, but I have learned that giving them to friends, isn't a goodbye forever to that book. If I HAD to get it back, I could, they will have it.  (sure they might get rid of it too, but we all know I am not going to need that book again anyway, so let me have the thought).

I had a friend who loved something I had in my kitchen, and it was something I collected but dreaded dusting...she said, you should let me have that.  I looked at her and said, yeah right!.  Then I looked over at it, and with that, I picked it up and handed it to her.  I was sort of amazed myself, but it became a habit for me. It felt good.  Not that I was giving her joy in getting something, but that I won't have to ever dust it again.  If I acquire as much as a stone, it owns me, because then I have to dust it.

Sometimes I feel guilty seeing the person walk off with my stuff, because they are going to have to dust it, but maybe it brings them more joy that it brought me.  Material things don't bring me much joy.  If they do, its very short lived.

I have a book called Throw Out Fifty Things, that speaks to me. It motivates me to give more.  Its easy to clean a house without stuff in it.  There are no knicknacks to move around, which makes cleaning a tedious act.   I can open it to almost any page and gain something from it. A few moments ago, I read,   "For me, people who live solely on their laurels and accomplishments from the past are a yawn.  I don't wan to hear how wonderful you were in high school, or how you used to bicycle 20 miles a day. I want to know what you are doing with your life today?  Looking backward holds no charm for me. What's done, is done.  Learn from it and move on."  Its true, I mean really, who wants to listen to someone brag about their past and perhaps get their photo album out and show you pictures...there is a half hour, plus, of you life you will never get back.

Now, go throw out fifty things..I know you can do it.  But please,give them to Goodwill and keep  people working.