Creating Space

In a fit of winter catharsis, I cleaned out the storeroom.

Let me first clarify that I absolutely adore my cozy home. I’m grateful that the upstairs log walls are not covered and hidden by extra separated areas. They’re beautiful, and they hold and radiate a lot of warmth when exposed. Downstairs, our optimized basement features our family projection movie room (best home feature ever!). Creative use of limited square footage ingeniously utilizes a door-sized clothes rack, well, exactly behind the opened door of each bedroom (upstairs and downstairs).

Technically, this house has no actual closets. And yet it works beautifully. Which makes me think I should write a book on creative storage options…but I digress.

The point is, years ago my husband had built a storage room downstairs for me. One that I can walk into and move around a bit in. More importantly, one that I can shut the door on and eliminate the visual chaos that’s behind it. Because…everything is behind it.

Home is where we store our stuff.

No, wait. The point is, actually, that I had piled up enough stuff around the edges of the organized shelving so that we could barely walk into the storeroom anymore, let alone turn around and escape it. Shutting the door is a pretty cool option, arguably a necessity. But I could no longer stand the overwhelm of that mess, or of myself in relation to it. It was time for a purge.

Although I do this semi-annually as the spirit moves me, this time was different. Yes, I no longer have children with summer-to-winter clothing storage needs. (A plus of empty nesting.) Yes, I was able to let go of the just-in-case extra kitchen appliances that I no longer desire. (Lifestyle changes to lower blood sugar levels means I no longer have any interest in the bread machine I’ve held unused for years, anyway.)

This time, I approached the process drastically differently. Instead of considering what I could let go of, this time I considered what I wanted to hold on to.

Instead of, “is this extra?” it was, “does this bring me absolute joy?”

I effectively went from releasing 20%, to keeping 20%.

Big. Difference.

And I feel So. Much. Better.

Not just with the items, but with the space. Because here’s the thing I learned, the place I’ve realized I’m at:

• I feel more freedom through having space rather than things.
• I am way more abundant with less stuff (that I love) than more (of potential use). Less is truly, deeply, unbelievably, more.
• When I create space, whether physical or spiritual, I make room for miracles.

Who would have thought? I mean, for sure I’ve read and heard for years — decades! — that Less is More. And I honestly believe I’ve understood that, on one level. But holy crap! (“Crap” is a synonym for “stuff,” or “things,” by the way…) I am learning this for my own self at an entirely new level.

Letting go of crap of is a holy process.

And it is joyous.

Apparently I was not ready for this earlier. We all have our own process and divine timing, after all. (I remember this as I share space with my beloved…)

Speaking of, what’s your current process? Is there a room, or closet, or heart-space that you have let pile up? Is it time for you to examine it? Can you consider looking at it as to what cream rose to the top that you can treasure, instead of what sludge sank to the bottom that you can dispose of? I’d love to read your process in the comments below.