GOING GOING, GONE

 So its been two weeks since I downsized my books ( meaning to do this for years). And rediscovered Marie Kondo's book The Art of Tidying Up. Or whatever its titled. Sic.

This time around the concepts sunk in deeper I think and a few more buttons clicked for me. 

Since the book emphasizes on DISCARDING BY CATEGORY, I did my clothes first and got rid of a few What ifs. Rearranged the rest for easy access and decided after much deliberation to add another vertical organiser to reduce congestion in the hanging space. I was quite delighted with the end result but I still get this niggling feeling that I am not quite at 'click point' yet. 

 

Another thing I understood better was the WHAT IF problem. I understood that I have it bad! I looked at the books I had bought and BOUGHT and BOUGHT and NEVER read. I had to get ruthless with quite a lot of them and finally agreed to part ways with a huge pile. 

After books, I went to my kitchen. Here I was able to land more items in the replacement box than before and push the box OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND. But I know they are there! Sigh!

Komono - no, not DISCARDING a dragon. Miscellaneous stuff, that's what it is. So I did my DVD collection. A huge pile there. Who watches DVDs anymore? Will anyone even want them? Should I just chuck them in the garbage? 

My donation box is overflowing and I am getting more depressed looking at the amount of MONEY going down the drain. 

I AM GOING ON A

NO SHOPPING CHALLENGE FOREVER. 

Today, I decided to melt my used Advent candles and make my own candles. I felt good. If I had to buy new ones that would have cost me at least Rs 600. (Last year, a pink one cost me Rs 150). Saved money and reused the leftover wax. 

Another thing that clicked with Marie Kondo's book was that to keep your counters clear from clutter the items you keep there must find a permanent place somewhere inside your cabinet. So I got out everything I had from my kitchen cabinets and drawers and then put in only those I really wanted in there. The rest went up on the loft. Of course I cheated there. They should have gone out of the house. There's a jumble sale coming up soon I am told. I know where they will go.

I shifted our big bed back into the bedroom and the hall looks EMPTY in one area. I am tempted to add a sofa set there but NO! I will get used to that empty space till I enjoy it being there. 

Enjoy the EMPTY spaces in your life. EMBRACE the newness of change and you slowly ease yourself into it without even having to make an EFFORT.

As ADVENT draws near, 

I want to EMPTY my mind and heart of WORTHLESS IDEAS AND FEARS. 

I want to EMBRACE GODLY IDEAS AND INCREASE MY FAITH IN GOD.

 I hope to EASE MYSELF into it during these four weeks without even having to MAKE AN EFFORT. 

AND, ONCE I AM EMPTY, I WAIT FOR GOD TO FILL ME UP -

WITH HIS MIND,

HIS THOUGHTS,

HIS SPIRIT,

HIS LOVE.