From Sammie
DO JUST ONE THING
Or as we
say in my part of the South – dew jest one thaaannnnnnggggg.
Moving to a
gentle life – simplifying – may be, well, not so simple. It can be downright
overwhelming. How many years of life and possessions can you deal with
immediately? How many decisions about what’s important and what isn’t can you
make and not have a screeching headache?
Well, the
answer is simple. Do just one thing.
Most of us
begin simplifying by dealing with possessions. You may have lived in the same
house for years. If so, there are things stuffed in every nook and cranny,
right? And maybe there are boxes in the attic – or even worse, still at your
parents’ house!
Start with
one part of one room. If you’re not brave enough to face the clothes closet
yet, start with a nightstand or dresser. One drawer at a time. Make decisions.
Did you even know what was lurking there? Broken stuff, outdated accessories or
jewelry, ragged and useless somethings? Momentos that seemed important at the
time you attended that concert but now can barely remember – and really don’t
care that you don’t remember.
Each item
goes in the trash, the recycle container to donate to the thrift shop, or in a
pile to be returned to the drawer – maybe. Keep going, though. You’ve done one
drawer; you can do another.
Can you go
through just one thing every day? No? Well, then, set a specific day and do it
once a week. I’ll bet my fabric grocery shopping sacks that in no time you’ll
love the experience of paring down so much that you’ll be thinking ahead and
planning what else can go.
And that
new feeling you’re experiencing? It’s lightness. Unburdensomeness. Less
responsibility for keeping, maintaining, and knowing where the dadgum stuff is! And perhaps someone else is enjoying and benefitting from your gifts to the thrift shop. Or if you want to pad the grocery budget this week, take out a free ad, price the stuff to sell, and make a little scratch.
So you can
move on to the next room, and the next. And the neat way what’s left can be
folded and placed in the drawer without scrunching to actually close the drawer
is a real victory. The feeling of accomplishment is enough to make you blush!
Tiny steps.
Small accomplishments. You’re on your way to gentle living!
