doing what i have to do

"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do"  -Epictetus

I've been thinking a lot about this quote lately.  The calendar says it's spring yet the weather is dark and dreary and yesterday it snowed and rained and hailed and then snowed again.  I can't seem to focus or sit still long enough to complete any making.  Instead I feel the need to clean, to declutter, to donate and toss. 

Back to the above quote.  I want "to be" a mama who spends time reading, talking, playing, and walking through the woods with my children.  I already do these things but i also spend a lot of time caring for "stuff."  So what I "have to do" is keep my home free of stuff that needs washing, dusting, tending to or picking up - this will give me more free time to spend doing those things I find important.

For the past week I have been cleaning out drawers and closets and donating any clothes that have not been worn in the past year.  I feel a bit more free with each to-be-donated bag that is loaded onto the minivan.  I go quickly before I can change my mind because the rational me knows that I will not miss any of these items.  I am sure of this because many of the donated things are items I considered letting go of last year but figured I would find a use for them.  Well guess what? I didn't.  I never wore the cute brand name jeans that never fit me quite right and caused my stomach to stick out.  (Alright, it may not have been ALL the jeans' fault but you know what I mean)  I'd rather wear the same two pairs of jeans (with a white cotton tee from Target + a cardi) everyday and look lean and put together than wear a hundred different outfits that make me look frumpy and cause me to feel less confident.  Actually, I'm wearing more clothes now because I rediscovered several shirts that were buried behind all the stuff I never wore and I have lots of empty hangers for a few new Spring items.  But I have no plans to go shopping any time soon because those bare hangers are making me oh so happy.  Happiness really is in the little things - or in the lack of little things.

I've cleared books off my coffee table (bench, really) which, of course, encourages kiddos standing on and jumping off said coffee table-bench.  But that is all part of the carefree play that is in the "what would be" part of above quote.

I also put away pillows and quilts that adorned the couch.  These inevitably ended up on the floor, collecting dog hair and dust bunnies (I have no idea where these come from as bunnies are about the only pet that we don't have), and causing my kiddos to trip as they race through the family room.  All this caused this mama to reprimand said kiddos so I did "what I have to do" in order to achieve the "what I would be."

Even my husband noticed that two lamps were gone and asked why they didn't make the cut.  For a brief moment I questioned whether I had cleared out too much or left too little.  Maybe I had created a home that was so bare bones that even my guy - who rarely notices such things - realized that we were living with less.  But no, I had not cleared away and donated too much - I took away just the right amount of stuff to create a home where the unnecessary clutter was gone and what was left had room to shine - and that was what greg noticed. 

Yes, my home is pared down to the things that we need and love.  Things that did not serve a purpose had to go - i'm sure that someone perusing my local thrift store right now is seeking a red glass lamp and will be overjoyed when she comes accross the one I donated.  I feel like a giver - which sure beats feeling like a hoarder!

For extra clearing out fun I went through each of our sock and underwear drawers and pulled out items that were worn or didn't have a match.  You don't need to know this but I kept only four white bras - the ones that looked good under white tees and only the underwear that I actually wear.  This really is too much information for a crafty blog but if this helps someone out there clear the excess clutter out of their homes then so be it. 

Since I cleaned out all the excess I am able to breathe deeper and feel less stressed.  Plus I have more room for flowers and more time to enjoy them!

And for moments when you feel like this, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

"Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." -Albert Einstein

Comments

[theresa/t does wool]

you have found a beautiful harmony here...xx

[Rose]

What a nice reminder of what is important and what is not. I've been wanting to do the same here, but it's been too busy lately. I am planning to clear some clutter this Saturday, and hope to feel the same 'lightness of spirit'. BTW, I love the painting of trees you have over your couch, so pretty.

[Beth Lehman]

lovely post - you are others - are reminding me how good getting rid of clutter feels....

[Stephanie]

We have been doing the exact same here, although with remodeling parts of our house at the moment a lot of things have had to come out of cabinets and drawers and it makes me realize we still have more to get rid of. Simplicity is a lovely way of life :)

[Meg Evans]

Larissa, I was reading along and nodding my head in agreement--and when I got to the part about socks and bras, I just started laughing! I just went through my underwear drawer a couple of weeks ago and pared it way down, too! I feel another decluttering session coming on this week!

[Andrea]

Beautifully said!

[Beth]

You make me realize I really need to get on this bus !!!! When my ASU work slows down I'm going to spend my time decluttering.

[Jodi]

Wow! You did good! I went through the same purge back in January, but I still feel like I only scratched the surface. I'm making a big pile in the basement for a garage sale in May. Hopefully, I can make enough $$ to parcel out to the kids as their spending money for the summer (provided they help, that is!).

[elns]

You are my hero. This weekend, items WILL move out of their cluttered spot, into the long hallway and out the door ...

Being organized is a life long el dorado.

[Amy J]

Like you, I'm working on getting rid of the "stuff"...I do it every change of season, but somehow more accumulates. The donation centers love seeing me pull up :)

[andi]

Love this post. Right now I am reading this thinking I really need to declutter all my crap. I love how the hubby asked about the lamps not making the cut!I too just recently cleaned out my "undie" drawer and realized I don't wear more than half of them. So no love, not too much information for a crafty blog. :)

[tara]

I so need to do this too. The boys are now 5 and 6 (almost 7) and we still have baby toys hanging around. These need to go. We also have a closet full of stuff that we have not looked at since we moved into this house about 6 years ago. Again, gotta go. I'm working on it a bit at a time and you are right, it feels great. I love that Albert Einstein quote.

[Earth Mama]

I agree with you so much, and think that sitting in the decluttering phase is a good thing. I try my best to whisk those goodwill bags out to the trunk before I, or anyone smaller, may see what is in there and "remember" how they need to have it. I feel so clear when I am not surrounded by "stuff". And being clear in the head means more to me than having something. HAppy clearing to you!

:)Lisa

[aracne]

Amazing post, I admire you for having had the willingness of getting rid of the unnecessary and for carrying out the task.
I am glad you didn't give away those beautiful and inspiring pictures: who painted them? You?

[Nancy]

I'm in total agreement about stuff. "Stuff" has a way of letting you down and taking up your time to a ridiculous extent.

And, I'm continually amazed how inspired I feel in a clutter-free environment. But "stuff" is a monster I fear sometimes I will never defeat...*sigh* seriously...

[Jen]

I love that Einstien quote, it is such a good one. I have been purging clutter around my place and love how it feels! You are such an inspiration and I have to say pretty darn funny too, I laughed out loud when I read about your underware drawer hee hee. I super love your "Keep Calm and Carry On" wise words to live by indeed. Thanks for visting my little space it made me smile :). Have a great day!

[Karen]

This post really resonated with me. Thank you for sharing it.

[Abbey]

I loved this post. Thank you for writing and sharing your thoughts. Your decluttered living room pictures truly are inspiring.

[MrPuffy]

Not too much and not too little ~ just right!!! Now you have inspired me to think about decluttering my space too :)

Spring just arrived this week in So. Cal and it won't be long before it arrives in Virginia too ~

[Imene]

I love what you did with your house. I have a pretty paired down house but you have inspired me to spruce up things a bit!

[Lasik surgery]

We people tend to collect too many things, that we don't use anymore, and we wake up suffocated with all this clutter. It's good to clean up from time to time, this helps us, you feel more free.

[Ruth]

When I first decided to stay home I did the same thing. I filled our van until it was ready to pop. I am in a continual state of purging here.

Ruth

[jane]

Sounds like you and I are doing the same thing. I have so much more to do, but it feels so good to get some of it out of here!

[dani]

Bravo! We live the same way.

I can't stand clutter. I'm always weeding through those things that just aren't used or necessary. I seem to do a little each season.

We don't have pillows on any of our furniture...except the beds, of course. My days and evenings became so much better without having to pick up those darn cushions. We have one lone quilt. And that's all that's needed.

[Adrie]

Awesome! Decluttering is the best, I agree.

[Jan]

Totally agree with this whole thing of cleaning out and less makes one happier. We moved into an RV a few yrs. back for a couple of years and I spent about a month paring down our lives. WHAT A BURDEN came off my back when we started living with so much less. The burden has returned now that we have moved back into our house though, so time for me to do what you did!!! I will tell you this in case you don't know. If you donate to some place such as Goodwill, you can get a receipt from them and your donations can be counted off your taxes as charitable contributions. For example: one garbage bag of clothes has a value of about $125. This adds up and adds to the good feeling!

[kristyn]

So I've read this post at least three times and have now printed it out. I (like Meg) read through it shaking my head in agreement and smiling! I so agree with you! For the past two months I've been slowly and sometimes secretly purging through "stuff". I so enjoyed my donation trip- smiled the whole way there and back! And that underwear drawer...cleaned mine out before the trip and am down to a pair a day and only the socks I wear remain! Love your honesty. Love your willingness to share. Love you.

[Heather]

The same feeling has been brewing in me for the last fw weeks. It starts this week - thanks for the inspiration!

[Denise]

that is such a good quote. I am so going to use that with my clients. And, your thought about the pillows on the couch. Oh, that touches home with me!!

[Lisa Q]

I still have one more blog post of yours to catch up on, but now I feel the need to go and purge! I've been doing the same things...yesterday I went through our silverware drawer and cleaned it out. I had a bin full of bread tabs...what?! It feels so good to have empty space in places that have been jam packed. Your home looks wonderfully inviting. Have a calm and relaxing week!

[Lori]

I too have been loving Spring Cleaning Mode these days. But I have to tame my desire to purge...sometimes I go crazy and toss everything only to want it back later!

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