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Hoarding Inner Peace
Clutter is the physical equivalent of noise.
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The Causes of Clutter
“Do you really need 8 garlic presses?”
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The Letting Go
When my mother died, I hung on to this bottle of deodorant she had given me until long after it had been used up. Because she gave it to me. I think I got it into my head that getting rid of that bottle would be like losing my connection with her. I just couldn’t…
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Feng Shui Lite
Recently, a friend pointed out to me that, according to the feng shui bagua, my “marriage, relationships, and partnerships” region is located in my guest room. My guest room isn’t particularly welcoming. It has become the dumping ground for all the stuff I have yet to unpack. It kind of looks like the front yard…
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Do You Have a History of…
Packing for a move is always an interesting experience. It gives you an opportunity to really look at all of your stuff. I often encounter things I had forgotten I have. And that makes me wonder why I still have those things. If I could live without them for this long, why am I holding…
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My Mall Dream
When I was little, I used to fantasize about being locked in a mall after closing time. Of course, for this to work, none of the individual stores would be locked and there would be no security whatsoever. I’d get to spend the night going from shop to shop, getting anything I wanted for free.…
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At What Point Did I Lose All Control?
Once upon a time, I balanced my checkbook, folded all my clothes, and actually could see most of the flat surfaces in my home. There was a place for everything, and everything was in its place. I changed the oil in my car like clockwork, I observed people’s birthdays, and doing my taxes was a…
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The Futility of Accumulation
I long to have one of those minimalist homes with wide expanses of floor space and no tchotchkes to dust or arrange. No clutter. No collections. I want to be able to move all my stuff from one house to the next in just one or two carloads. I often look around at the mess…