(I participate with a group of writers in a weekly “Five Minute Friday” writing exercise. In response to a word prompt, each writer sits down for five minutes for “no extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation. Unscripted. Unedited. Real.” This is also described as a sort of writing flash mob and a great form of “free therapy” )
Five Minute Friday: Mess
Go.
True confession.
I have lots of “stuff.”
Physical stuff.
Boxes of stuff.
Clothes that don’t fit any member of my family but are “sentimental.”
Knick knacks and doodads from vacations.
Mounds of Christmas decorations that we have not actually used in more than a decade when decorating for Christmas.
Electric and phone bill statements from 1997.
Most of us, if we are honest, don’t want people to “mess” with our “stuff.”
We don’t even want to mess with our stuff!
But, guess what?
Our “stuff” IS the mess.
The minimalism movement/philosophy has been resonating with me for a while now and I believe its time has come.
How much “stuff” do I really need?
How can I keep my “stuff” from “messing” with my ability to live fully, deeply and in the moment?
Matthew 16:25 tells us that “those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”
Here’s what that verse says to my heart: I have accumulated lots of “stuff” during my life, but that stuff isn’t my life! All that stuff that I have saved, moved, categorized, organized and hauled around is not my life. The time it takes to save, move, categorize, organize and drag it around? That’s time I don’t spend LIVING my life RIGHT NOW! On top of that, all that stuff might be useful to somebody else as they are living THEIR life RIGHT NOW!
The hit song from the movie “Frozen” could be the anthem and theme song for minimalists everywhere.
“Let it Go!”
Stop
Home Among the Hills 
This is great! Including the picture you chose. I’m in the process of decluttering my whole house because we intend to move in the next year or two, so I’ve felt the weight of the 12-year mess we’ve created in our home, too.
It certainly sneaks up on us! Good luck with your decluttering!
Yes! Let it go! We moved 2 years ago and then ago 1 year ago and we still have way too much stuff! I got rid of a ton! Where does it come from?!
I know, right?? I find that each time I go through the stuff, I find more and more things I am ready to let go of…part of the trick, I guess, is to keep so much NEW stuff from getting added to the piles! 🙂
Haha! I started singing the song in my head!! I think next time I’m cleaning I will blare that!
It is a catchy tune! I kept it in mind today and got three large bags together and delivered to Goodwill. Let it go!! 🙂
Hey, I love the idea of singing “Let It Go” when addressing clutter.
I also agree with you, even I don’t want to mess with my stuff.
🙂