Have you ever been so overwhelmed by the clutter in your life that you can’t face the thought of attacking it and whittling it down? It could be clutter in your home, clutter in your social life, or clutter in your thoughts. Even too much of a good thing can crowd out the best things and distract us from our purposes.

Mel has recently discovered that our model airplane collection has to go. Our basement is filled with them, and we’re moving very soon to a place far away. The new home has no room for airplanes. We will likely lose half the money invested in these things, but we have no choice. We can’t move them with us.

Have you ever wondered what you would take with you and what you would leave if you had to move from your home? Maybe you’ve already moved recently and faced that monster of clutter. Maybe you’ve moved often and you know how to keep the clutter to a minimum. Good for you! I think the rest of us could really use your skill set.

We discovered the necessity of paring down our 22-year collection of memorabilia, gifts, whimsical decisions, and gadgets crammed into an overly large house when we hired a moving service, and the truck that came was too small. It was too late to turn them away and ask for a larger truck, so we were only able to fit half the furniture, boxes, and necessities onto the truck. We’re being forced to leave half our household goods behind for auction.

What’s left behind will have to be cataloged for sale with an auctioneer, and the house is still full of STUFF!

What do you do when you have to choose only a few items from your belongings? What treasures do you take and what do you leave behind?
I’ve found that pictures of family long gone, letters of buried loved ones, gifts from parents who are no longer with us–those are precious to us. Gifts from friends I’m leaving behind are also on the to-take list.

If you haven’t done so in a while, walk through your home and do yourself a favor–do a little decluttering. Even if you don’t plan to move for the rest of your life, have compassion on those children or loved ones who will be left behind, and declutter for them.

Our lives are usually too full of too much. The wealth in this country can choke us if we let it. Give yourself some breathing room and clear out the extraneous. You’ll be glad you did.