Inspiration for Letting Go of Things

I just finished reading God Never Blinks by Regina Brett. Brett is a columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in Ohio. This book highlights the 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours. What started out as a simple list of life lessons for her column received such praise that she soon turned that list into a book. There are lots of great inspiring stories. Stories that make you think, appreciate what you have and recognize that we are all surrounded by love. It’s an easy read full of gentle life lessons and reminders we could all use!

My favorite lesson is #42 – Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful, or joyful. Well said Regina! She acknowledges that raised in a household with depression-era parents who held on to everything she in turn felt the need to never let go of things. I love how she explains that it’s hard to let things go because it’s like letting go of a “me”. She writes

What stops me from cleaning it is that I bump into all the me’s I left behind. The Athletic Me can’t part with the kneepads, volleyball shoes, Rollerblades, ice skates and assorted sports bras that convince me I’m still young enough to be the athlete I never was.

She goes on to explain about the Younger Me, the Sexy Me, and the Nostalgic Me. Finally the Realistic Me takes over and she recognizes that things need to go. She spent the following 3 months decluttering her entire house. She learned that sometimes trash is still trash; it’s not always someone else’s treasure. While sorting she asked herself the tough questions that allowed her to recognize that clutter was holding her back. She wisely points out that “decluttering forces you to let go of the past.” She concludes the lesson by writing

When you finally let go of the person you used to be, you get to discover the person you are now and the person you want to become.

What a wonderful way to end a lesson!

What is holding you back from being the person you are and the person you want to become? There’s no better time to get rid of the clutter so you can be YOU!

More tips for letting go from Ready Aim Organize!