Find the balance.

I read Marie Kondo‘s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and her simple philosophy has helped me declutter my home and my life. I will finish up with the little pile pictured above and then enjoy my newfound perspective. The beauty of Kondo’s tidying method is its relevance to all aspects of life: Remove whatever does not bring you joy. Whether possessions or friends, ideas or personality traits, anything that does not lead you to become the best version of yourself can (and should) be unapologetically discarded. Below are notes and quotations from the book. Consider replacing the word things with friends, beliefs, qualities or anything else that prevents you from experiencing joy. Reading her magical words can help ready you for moving forward into a more positive space.

• Surround yourself with things you love.
• People cannot change their habits without first changing their way of thinking.
• Avoid storage.
• First, discard. Then, decide where to put things. Finish discarding completely.
• What is your destination? Why do you want to tidy? What kind of lifestyle do you want? Why?
• Choose what you want to keep, not what you want to get rid of. Ask yourself, “Does this spark joy?”
• Work to dispose of your own excess.
• To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose.
• What things will bring you joy if you keep them as part of your life?
• It is not our memories, but the person we have become because of those past experiences that we should treasure. The space in which we live should be for the person we are now, not for the person we were in the past.
• As you put your house in order and decrease your possessions, you will see what your true values are, what is really important to you in your life.
• Not having a space to call your own is dangerous. Everyone needs a sanctuary.
• When we delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two reasons: attachment to the past, fear of the future.
• What do you want to own? How do you want to live your life?
• Stacking is very hard for the items on the bottom.
• Make your home your ‘power spot’ filled with pure energy.
• Appreciate your belongings.
• Letting go is even more important than adding.
• Tidying is confidence in your decision making capacity. Improve confidence in your judgement and in yourself.