This last week I was faced with the exhausting task of moving. Well, actually I moved five months ago. During my move from a tiny apartment I shared with my sister, who was still living there, I left a room full of boxes, clothes and random things that I promised myself I would come back and look through, deciding what to keep and what to part with. Last week she was finally moving and I had to figure out what I was going to do with what I left behind.
I thought I would be able to part with most of the remaining stuff, since it had been five months since I even thought about them… Unfortunately, this was not the case. I ended up cluttering my new place, my new life, with more unnecessary boxes and clothes.
After this move I felt defeated, my mind was cluttered and my mood was weighed down. All of this stuff I had now forgotten about was at some point new and exciting, but now was just a burden. I was getting along just fine without these extra items, but for some reason I chose to carry them into my present life, only to add unnecessary frustration.
As we continue our life journey it is easy to accumulate more stuff than we need, and evaluating what is essential and what is baggage is critical if we want to keep moving forward. Not every item, person or memory is meant for longevity. Sometimes what once served a purpose is no longer useful to carry with us.
Whether it is the tangible box of clothes or the heavy memories of the past, before we continue to carry and house these belongings, feelings and thoughts, we have to make a decision: Will they improve my emotional and mental health, or will they just add stress and anxiety?
“If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down.”
