"Decluttering Your Life"

Clutter is not fun. Just because you keep your house clean, does not mean you won't deal with clutter on occasion. Clutter happens often in clean houses because of moving quickly, busyness and tight schedules. It can also be compounded due to more than one person living in the same space. I am a strong advocate of "Everything has a place, and everything in its place" but that does not mean it always happens.

IDENTIFYING THE CLUTTER

Prior to writing this blog, I was caught a glimpse of my mail area. It looks kind of bad to me. There is opened mail that needs to be shredded, some that still needs to be opened, filed, or paid and junk mail that I need to identify as such and so on. If you stopped by my house right now, you might think it is in pretty good order, but the last week or so has been busy on PURPOSE. I have neglected to attend to those small things that life brings, and this little pile of clutter shows it.

The funny thing about clutter, it mainly bothers you when you realize that it has grown, and something is about to happen that will expose it to others. Maybe you have a special event, or company is coming over. Now suddenly you have to deal with a pile of things that might be important and some that could be thrown away all in the same pile with limited time to sort. it is hard to figure out where to move it out sight way when you don't have time. Honestly, it is always easier to sort quickly in moments when these things come to your attention, instead of trying to find stuff in a box or bag you threw it all in for a moment. If you are in shared space with others it can be difficult. I am one who believes all the shared space should have a rule of cleanness. If your room or personal space gets clutter, that is reflective of you, not the house. So, holding everyone responsible for their own area can help.

DECLUTTER!

Often big things get the attention and the little things don't complain until they become big. They say the 'squeaky wheel' gets the grease, and that may be true, but that doesn't mean that the silent things don't need it. Some of those things might be simply going through your mail, cleaning your closet, getting rid of things you no longer use. It may look like pulling weeds, checking your bank statements for errors, or cleaning under your bed. It might also be taking time with your children in an unusual way, simple conversations with your spouse that don't include kids or bills and of course it should also include time and attention for you. So it is in our natural house, so it is in our spiritual houses. Life can leave clutter in our mind, our emotions, and in our spiritual man.

My message today is simple. Make time to attend to the little things in your life and deal with the clutter. Make habits to quickly handle things that present themselves from day to day. If you get that junk mail, look at it, make a decision and toss it in the recycle.... it won't be there tomorrow cluttering up the things that are important. If you have things that need to be filed away, put them in a pile and do it once you are done. If we do these little jobs as they present themselves, we will have less issues with constant clutter. So, enjoy your day, and if you are one who has too much going on- handle it! Take time to observe what needs to be done and do it, little by little. If we fail to contain and sift through our clutter, it will be a unwanted eyesore at the most inopportune times.

So, take time this week to declutter your house, declutter your life and declutter your mind!