Monday, April 4, 2011

Living Crowded

This weekend I've been reading a book by Dan Aslett called Weekend Makeover.  It is about decluttering your home/life.

The million dollar question I want to ask today is:

Why do we live crowded?
(by clutter, schedules, habits, people?)

For me, this question is a reflection of a selfish, greedy mentality.  I have to hold on to my stuff because if I let it go I may not have enough stuff when I need (want) it.

When you are cleaning up, and the stuff does not fit, do you ever have the feeling you are trying to fit a quart of milk into a cup? 

We are tossing, tossing, tossing around here.  Tossing to free up space.  Tossing to uncurl our tight crip around things.  Tossing to free up time for important things like relationship.  Tossing to have space for everything.  Simplifying so order and peace will reign in our home.

The never ending process.  We bring stuff in.  We bring it in.  All the time we are bringing stuff from the outside world in.

The vocabulary of excess:

  • piles
  • stacks
  • hoards
  • heaps
  • cram
  • crush
  • overstuffed
  • overcrowded
  • bulging
  • overflowing
  • encumbered
  • loaded
  • laden
  • burdened
  • haul
  • excess baggage
  • rummage
  • unsettle
  • distract
  • disrupt
  • complicate
  • disorganized
  • chaos
  • jumble
  • upset
  • overwhelmed
  • embarrassed
  • worried
  • disarray
(List taken from Weekend Makeover, Dan Aslett)

The results of living crowded and in excess.  Is it really worth it?

2 comments:

Angela @ Cottage Magpie said...

Oh, you are so speaking my language! I am reaching new levels of decluttering here, after a lifetime of collecting, collecting, collecting. I just don't want all this stuff in my way anymore! Very inspiring post, thank you!
~Angela~

Gretchen said...

I want to copy and paste this post. It is PERFECTO.
I've spent the last year "de-crowding" esp. our schedule and people (in a good way).