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| Photo courtesy of www.education-portal.com |
Yesterday, I did exactly what I said I would do. I gathered all those VHS tapes, and grabbed a shelf full of books, added them to the bags of books I already bagged. I then grabbed the bags of items destined for Goodwill, loaded up the car and took each to their specified destinations.
I felt energized as I pulled into the Goodwill drop off lane. And I felt even more energized as I dragged five bags of books into Half Priced Books. As I sat the bags of books on the counter a sudden weight felt as if it had been lifted off my shoulders! I was free of books! Well, at least a good portion of them.
For this task, there was reward. Albeit $17, but it was money in the pocket I did not have before. It was so hard to not buy another book or two while in the store, but I made it out without any additional purchases.
It makes me wonder how much more money I can make off these shelves. I know a lot of people would probably be clamoring over that complete Harry Potter collection. Or, since it is still the beginning of the year, all of those diet and weight-loss books I’ve collected.
You see, one of the things I hope to accomplish with this is that as I remove the clutter from my surroundings, I’ll be able to remove the clutter of my mind and then the clutter around my waistline. Because of all the *stuff* lying around the house, I come home feeling defeated, which then makes me depressed, then leading to the cookie aisle at the local grocery store. Even our kitchen cupboards become a source of clutter in our lives, causing us to feel overwhelmed leading us to the nearest fast food drive-thru lane.
There is that word again: overwhelmed. It is a common theme when we become so burdened with so much around us. It equates in time. It equates in finances. It equates in relationships. It equates in our well-being. Don’t you want to lose the chains that keep you tied down to the things that clutter and weigh us down? I know I do. And that is our goal. To free ourselves from burdens that keep us anchored.
The process of de-cluttering and simplifying is not without its frustrations and humorous moments. You see, I have two lovely dogs: a Springer Spaniel/Dachshund mix and a feisty Boston Terror puppy. With them, my floors are always in need of vacuuming. Last night was no exception. I sprinkled the floors with pet deodorizer, set my timer and went to work on my tapes and books. When the timer went off, I pulled out the vacuum, plugged it in, and realized the bag was too full for the job. I pulled the bag out and set off to find the replacement, which was nowhere to be found in the house. I was so positive I had purchased a new box of them, yet nada.
As I drove home from delivering my treasures to Goodwill and Half Priced Books, I stopped by the trusty Target. Surely they would have what I needed. Sadly, no. So I grabbed the bags that closely resembled what I needed, only to find that they were nowhere near what I really needed. I grabbed the scissors and widened the bag attachment, only to realize I had punctured the bag. Quickly grabbing packing tape, I covered the hole and was finally able to vacuum my floors, although rather tentatively. Today, I will be purchasing the correct bags for my vacuum.
So, for today, I plan to tackle my laundry and my laundry room. I have two rooms in my home where the doors are to remain closed at all times: the guest room and the laundry room. I’ll tackle the guest room later. Again, it only takes 15 minutes to gather the laundry, put it in the washer, and fold what is in the dryer. I’ve timed it before. It works. But, if the mountain is larger than Mount Everest, then it may take a few more 15 minute rounds to tackle.
And, I might take another box of books down for trade again today.
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