Lighten the load, enjoy the journey

Reasons to downsize? There are lots of good reasons.

Lately I just keep thinking that I want to simplify SO THAT I can focus on the really important things in life. So that all this stuff is out of the way. I don't want downsizing to be my focus, but sometimes it feels like it must be. The reason I downsize is to get rid of the stuff that hinders my focus.

Jettison.

I keep thinking of that word.

 

Jettison: a voluntary sacrifice of cargo
 to lighten a ship's load in time of distress
 

To jettison the things in my life that get in the way of my real journey. That's what I want. I want to be light and free so that I am not hindered in living my life. I don't want to haul around so much baggage. All that cargo. I don't want to need so much storage space.

But yah, sometimes it feels like downsizing needs to be my full-time job. A major focus. Simply because stuff has piled up for so long and I must keep at it. I must be disciplined. I must keep plodding and pitching. I must stay focused on it.

But then I resent that fact. I do not want it to be my full-time job. There are other more important things that deserve my energy. I wish that downsizing could just be this little side hobby that I could give token attention to once a week or so. Phooey; I wish that I didn't have to give any attention to it at all. I wish it were just done. I wish I didn't have all of those piles of boxes. I wish that I hadn't kept all that stuff for all of those 60+ years!!! I could get pretty upset with myself for those bad habits. I could really resent the mountains that I have created for myself.

But then that wouldn't really help me, would it? Unless... Unless I let the frustration help me realize how silly and inconsequential most of that stuff is. Unless I let my distaste for too much stuff help me to let go of it. It seems so obvious. It seems like it should be so easy. If I'm not happy about all of that stuff, then why don't I just get rid of it? I wish. But no, each box must be opened - or at least I still believe that it does. Each item must be examined and decisions must be made. The process is exhausting - physically and mentally and emotionally.

I keep hoping that there will be less attachment this time through the boxes. I keep hoping that this time when I open a box, it will be so much easier to get rid of the contents. Or, if not so much easier, maybe at least a little easier.

And so I keep at it. I open another box and find homes for the contents - hopefully not in my home. I always hope that I'll be able to find NEW homes for the lovely and the good. Homes where they are needed and will be appreciated. And hopefully I'll be able to let go of the unimportant - by realizing that they are unimportant - or by finding better ways to celebrate their importance.

 

As for that desire to find new homes for stuff, it is such a noble thought, but yes, I have to admit that it often ends up hindering my progress. I can waste a stinkin' lot of time and energy trying to find someone who would appreciate my cast-offs. However, I have finally realized that there is this magical place where the people who might appreciate it can find it. It is called a thrift store and I can take my stuff there and just leave it and the people there will deal with it and display it so that other people who could use it can find it. What a novel idea.

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