It’s really easy to get bogged down, looking at and thinking about all the stuff we have and what we’re going to do with it. Sometimes the best thing to do is to shift your focus from all the stuff you have to all the people who might appreciate, value and use the stuff you have more often than you do!
Think about family members, friends or neighbors who might enjoy using some of the things you have. Think about charities you would like to support—including shelters and services for those less fortunate than you. If you have extra coats or sweaters, for example, think about the people who have none, and how grateful they would be to have something warm to wear in the winter.
A client loved clothes, her closets were jammed, she had recently retired, and her life had changed. She heard about a local non-profit that provided free wardrobes for those needing outfits for job interviews and for work. Once she pictured in her mind how much others would enjoy wearing some of her beautiful clothes, she got inspired and within two weeks had taken more than four carloads of skirts, pants, blouses, sweaters, jackets, shoes, scarves, purses, jewelry and other things she once treasured to this wonderful destination. She was thrilled to finally be able to pass these things on—in the midst of it all she exclaimed, “my stuff is just flying out of here!” And it felt so good to have more room in her closets for the clothes she kept.
Before you start sorting, think about where your things might go. Make a list of the people and organizations who might appreciate having what you are not using. Keep these destinations in mind, and your sorting can go more quickly and be much easier. It can be exciting. It can be very satisfying. It can be magical!
