Last night I was visiting with a girlfriend of mine whom I have not connected with since Christmas. It was a really lovely visit.

We spent 2 hours at a local sushi restaurant and stuffed ourselves with delicious all you can eat sushi. We talked at length about relationships, her upcoming wedding and a bit about my life history that she never knew. I left the restaurant after feeling completely freed from my past, liberated for my future, and totally understanding the things that have been holding me back in life so I can make my present better. Mental speed bumps if you will.

During the conversation I had quite a few aha moments. The most important one has prompted me to write this post. In this particular moment, I realized that what I cherish most in life are the amazing experiences I have had. Travelling, meeting new people, trying new hobbies and finding my passions in partner dancing and horseback riding have been a few. I think back now, to how much I have wanted to keep trinkets or mementos from each of these experiences, and now I see many of them as clutter. Don’t get me wrong, I will certainly keep a few of them, but others I will let go, as they did not create the beautiful memories for me, the experiences themselves did.

What is a key chain or shot glass going to provide for me? How about a postcard, t-shirt or mug? They will be cute little reminders of my experiences for sure, but that’s about it. I’m ready to part with these things now, and to remember the experiences through photos or memories. I think letting these items go will be a huge step forward.

Belongings hold us back and tie us to our past. While remembering the past or treasuring keepsakes from family or friends can be good, we have no need to have our homes full of little trinkets or collections. What I realized last night is that eventually, all items are going to  break down or fall apart. So my question to you is this: Why spend your money purchasing items that you will later spend your time maintaining, for them to sit on a shelf and eventually break down? You will then have to spend more time to get rid of them. Personally I would much rather spend my money on another trip or life experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

It is with these thoughts that I go forward in completing my project of downsizing my home to be able to live simply and minimally. I finally feel freed from the guilt of letting go of my belongings and feeling like I had to keep old gifts and things I have bought. There is no need. Now I have the freedom to move forward, and cherish my current life without being held back by clutter. Each of our lives is a canvas that we hold the paint brush and palette of paint for……how will you paint yours?

I know what my canvas will look like going forward 🙂