Cleanse the Clutter

I heard inspirational author, Cheryl Richardson, speak the other day in DC, at a Hay House event, and she talked about clutter. Cheryl described how she had spent her life holding onto stuff. She was in an unhealthy marriage, and when she finally got the strength to leave it, she began to toss out other things as well.

Files, piles, drawers, paper; she had saved them all for someday. The someday when she just might need them. Someday she would need to know that. Someday someone might ask for it.

What she was saying was that she didn’t trust that her needs would be met; that the universe would provide.

Cheryl described throwing out an old file cabinet full of paper, and how she deliberately took the trash bag to a far away dumpster to avoid last minute regrets. Years later, she trusts that she’ll remember what she needs to know, when she needs to know it.

She described the invisible energy cords attaching us to all of our stuff, and how those energy cords zap our energy every day.

I thought about my big black file cabinet, I’m sure a good match to Cheryl’s.

My piles, my desk, my kitchen table on days when I don’t want to enter my office. Stacks, paper, energy cords. Those energy cords demand that you move the piles, neaten the piles, address the piles, file the piles. If you don’t, they look messy. They create stress.

I was inspired to come home and learn more. Countless studies and clutter experts talk about stress and clutter. Hanging onto things you don’t need creates more work, a to-do list, and guilt for not having done it. When clutter gets out of control it leads to hoarding. In fact, the adviser to the show The Hoarders, claims that cleaning out clutter will lead to weight loss.

That made sense to me. Cleaning out closets, drawers, and lives, releases those invisible life draining energy cords. Less to think about, less to do. Less stress. Stress creates cortisol. Cortisol leads to fat and slows your metabolism.

Cleaning out clutter creates freedom. Clarity. Clear, unfettered thinking. Inspiring you to write, speak, walk out the door, run 2 miles.

Whatever freedom means to you.

Are you a clutter person? How did you release yourself?
Share your story with us below!

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