Let Your Memorable Clutter take a ‘Sentimental Journey’

sentimental memoriesAs the holidays get closer, I like to take some time to sort through all of the sentimental items I have saved over the years. Some of these items hold wonderful memories for me. The old coffee grinder that my parents used. The  goofy watering can purse my cousin gave me because I loved to garden.  As I sort, I decide that some of the items I’d considered special don’t mean that much to me anymore, so I send them on a ‘Sentimental Journey’ to a local charity. Ah, less clutter in my home.

When sentimental objects don’t make you happy anymore, they become sentimental clutter. You’d like to get rid of them, but part of you can’t let go for the sake of the memories they bring, the people they symbolize, or the guilt you’d feel if you did get rid of them. In order to deal with this contradiction you must make a mental shift. Think about what you really want. Do you want to hold on to these items and stay stuck in your clutter and disorganization? Or, let go and have a sense of freedom and peace of mind.

To make this mental shift, think about the people who can benefit from the items you could get rid of. Do you have clothing and coats in your closet that were your mother’s but that you never, ever wear? Perhaps you can donate them to a homeless shelter to help cloth other women who are lacking. Or, have you got shelves full of children’s books that your kids no longer read? Maybe you can give them to an orphanage, pre-school, or children’s hospital.

So, instead of clinging to these items, send them on a ‘Sentimental Journey’ that will bring usefulness and pleasure to the recipients (homeless women, other children, etc..)

Do you have some strategies you use to let go of sentimental clutter?  If so, I’d like to hear about them!

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