There are so many rich and wonderful ways to connect with others. My guest, Connection Messenger* Annette Petrick, shares a recent experience that started with a simple decluttering project and ended up touching the lives of several other women who were thrilled to have the professional clothing Annette no longer needed. When old is made new, amazing things can happen!
Use the audio player below to listen to this 90-second show.
There is so much attention these days to cleaning up, clearing out and getting rid of things. Everything from overcoming hoarding to the new best seller “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo.
When I faced an overload of belongings, I decided to connect with people who might benefit from things that no longer fit my lifestyle. The result was a wonderful connection with a half dozen women. We met, got to know each other, heard each other’s stories and everyone took away something valuable. For me, it was the good feeling that I helped make life a bit easier for a few good people.
[powerpress]
Thanks much.
Annette Petrick for Consider This
Annette Petrick is the creative genius and inspired storyteller behind the Consider This Radio Show, featuring 90-second episodes serving up “timely perspectives on life, love, friends, family, giving back, and giving thanks.” Be sure to get on her email list HERE. She sends out a new 90-second episode every Sunday morning.
[stextbox id=”stb_style_870581″]* What’s a Connection Messenger? At Heartspoken, a Connection Messenger is someone who helps point the way to strengthening one of life’s essential connections: with God, with self, with others, or with nature. [/stextbox]
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Excellent suggestions, Karen. Really important to get the word out to those who can use help, that assistance like this is available.
I haven’t needed to de-clutter for a while…and I try to keep the clutter controlled in my current home. However, my kids live at the Air Force Base and on base there is an Airmen’s Attic which takes donated stuff. And then airmen and families can pick from those items for their own homes. Donating to women’s shelters and men’s shelters is a good thing to do too.
These are great ideas, Karen. I’m sure every region has its own list of great places to take things you don’t need any more. One of the things I enjoyed about the Marie Kondo book Annette mentioned is her advice to take a moment and give thanks for the item you are getting rid of. Whether it was a much beloved item or something you bought and never used, it played a role, in some small or large way, in filling a need for you at the time. Giving thanks and releasing it appeals to let it serve someone else feels like a positive flow of energy.
Thanks for sharing, Pamela. We are launching the Big Stuff disposition of a house in Florida over the next few months. While the concept is daunting, it’s much easier knowing your prized or not so prized possessions will wind up with someone who can use them and hopefully appreciate the beauty or convenience they bring. Glad you found peace of well being in your decluttering.
What a wonderful idea! I have ‘decluttered’ twice in the past five years. The first time was the ‘big’ stuff, like furniture and boxes of books and appliances. (Moved from a big house to a much smaller one cross country.) I used some wonderful donation services who gave my nice left overs to needy clients. My next decluttering included more of the small things, and I used a local Thrift Shop for those. I hope my ‘things’ that I could no longer use were/are helpful to those who have little. I admit, decluttering made my life SO much lighter and simpler.
Pam, I have had exactly the same experience of lightness every time I’ve gone on a decluttering binge. The sense of accomplishment is palpable, and I swear, a decluttered room is just more inviting. I know without a doubt that I am more productive right after I’ve decluttered my office. So why does it always creep back on us?