Consider this: our possessions are nothing more than inanimate objects. They don’t pulse with the same life energies as we do. Right?
Curiously, no, that’s not the case at all.
Research in the area of quantum physics shows that inanimate objects (stones, mountains, manufactured things we live with) vibrate with the same frequencies as animate creatures (like animals, plants, and humans, for example).
Things Have Energy
The inanimate objects are part of the same energetic field as we are, which suggests we’re connected each to the other by way of this field.
It’s through this field that attachments are formed. In simple terms, these attachments are formed as a result of where we invest our energies, whether they go into a relationship with a loved one for example, an animal friend, or perhaps a favorite handbag.
Which brings me to the notion it’s this attachment to things that, for some of us, makes giving away our things so difficult. As the famous American songwriter Neil Sedaka once crooned, “Breaking up is hard to do.”
On a personal level, the things I’ve accumulated over the years that have worn out their usefulness have not been easy to let go of. I’ve wanted to hang onto pretty handbags… just because. Over time, I grew attached to them by admiring them, using them, and enjoying the pleasurable feelings they evoked when I did.
Feeling Lighter
By the same token, it hasn’t been easy to give away my deceased family’s things – my mother’s stylish vintage clothing for instance, or the antique tools my father once used. I felt an emotional attachment to these things through the memories they held, and the warm feelings they invoked when I saw them.
When I finally did summon the courage to give away some of these cherished things, and got beyond the thought of betraying my family by doing so, I was shocked by how good I felt afterward: lighter, fresher, more content. It felt as if there was more space in my mind to think. I couldn’t help but reflect what a really good form of therapy this was. It shifted a feeling state inside in a remarkable way.
I also wondered if giving away things that were no longer needed was also an unconventional form of self-love: a way of honoring my journey through the different stages of life, from being surrounded by family, to living without their presence in my world any longer. It was a way too of enveloping myself at home in the warm vibrations of the things I cherish.
At this time of year, which for some of us is about remembering the love in our lives, let’s remember too that self-love is as important as any other. Remarkably, we can use the things in our lives that no longer serve us as a way of not only de-cluttering our home and letting go of the past, but also of welcoming in more love for ourselves in the process.
Planning to Let Go
Here are 3 global concepts I’ve found really helpful when it’s come to letting go of un-needed things. (If you’re interested in more detailed information about how to do this, I’ve included a few excellent resources below.)
Plan
Determine what you want to give away, what you want to keep and what items you’re not sure about yet. Put the items in their appropriate piles so you can see what you have. Give yourself time to reflect on what to do with the ‘maybes’. Organizing expert Marie Condo says if they spark joy, they’re a keeper. If not, it’s time to let them go.
Make a list of possible places in your area where you can give away your un-needed things, or places online where you can sell them. I love my local thrift store. I give to them often and on occasion pick up something beautiful that adds a little something to the current style of my home, and by extension, to who I understand myself to be today.
Give
Pack it up and give it away. I like to thank my outgoing things for the utility and pleasure they’ve brought me, and wish them well on their journey. I know it sounds a little nuts, but doing so creates a sense of meaning in my heart: that what I’ve had in my possession has served me well, but is now no longer needed. It can go on to serve someone else. Happy trails to you my beloved blender!
Reflect
Take the time to notice how you feel after you’ve given away your things. It only takes a few seconds to notice what’s happening inside. Do you feel lighter? Freer? Relieved? Sad? Grateful? Give yourself the space to experience this felt sensation for a moment. It’s part of the process of saying good-bye.
When I give items away, I experience many of these things. I find doing so is a liberating experience that really lifts me up.
Why wouldn’t it? Everything’s connected. Every thing is part of the same energetic field, animate and inanimate alike. We can affect how we feel through what we have, and by extension, what we don’t have as well.
Letting go of things that no longer serve us is the fast track to de-cluttering our mind. It’s a beautiful way of loving ourselves in the process too.
References
Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom, by B.K.S. Iyengar, John J. Evans, and Douglas Abrams
The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals, by Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of De-Cluttering and Organizing, by Marie Condo
The Self-Aware Universe, by Amit Goswami
Let’s Have a Conversation:
When you de-clutter your home, how do you feel after you’ve given something away? How would you describe the energy in your home after you’ve done so?
