We cannot reach beyond ourselves and yet cling to what we have known. ~Jan Richardson

There is something delightful and freeing about pulling up an anchor and heading out into the ocean. Unlike the unsettling feeling of being unmoored, the fluid movement of a boat being piloted across the water un-tethered by constraints is quite exhilarating. As mentioned in an earlier post, owning a boat has precipitated a desire to be less inhibited by responsibilities and attachments at home – to have ease about where I go and what I do and the flexibility to pick up and leave on a whim – to be spontaneous. I feel drawn to stretch beyond my familiar daily routines and be open to something new, which is both frightening and exciting. In the spirit of becoming un-tethered, my husband and I have begun the Great Purge.

First on the chopping block were the big-ticket items, our cabin, my horse, and the horse-trailer. Now the focus has shifted to our home in Boulder and all the nooks and crannies where we store our “stuff” accumulated over twenty-nine years of marriage. The garage, crawl space, closets, drawers and cabinets are all being subjected to the clearing process. Craig’s list has become our virtual garage sale as more and more items are posted each day. Goodwill has also had an influx of our cast-offs as we continue to sort: keep, sell, give-away. My guiding principle has been to ask myself this questions, “Would I take the time to pack and move it to a new home?” If the answer is no, then it’s time to let it go. In Marie Kondo’s book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tiding Up,” one of her rules of thumb is to ask, “Does it spark joy?”

Well that certainly cuts to the chase. Yet I know from experience that what I choose to surround myself with does have an impact on my mood and attitude (this includes people, places and things). If I truly want to be un-tethered then I need fewer anchors holding me down – particularly clutter. Even if my clutter is neatly stored away out of sight, it still holds some heaviness because my subconscious knows it’s there. Marie goes on to say, “A dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective.” I feel like I’m doing the process in reverse having had some major lifestyle changes over the last twelve months. Now I’m trying to get my life in Boulder, particularly my home, to match these changes and compliment my life on the boat in the Northwest where adventure, exploration and casting off lines capture my imagination. Perhaps de-cluttering is a simple yet powerful way to open my heart and mind to new possibilities.

Questions: What things (people and places) “spark joy” in your life? What has outgrown its usefulness?