too much attachment to things.. --advice please?

[mmmfood]

I've been a packrat all my life. I have many little trinkets and a lot of things that I'm unable to part with. Every now and then I decide I need to unload all of the stuff because it's just too much. Then as I start, I find that I want to keep just about everything and just give up on the cleaning because I'm not ready to get rid of my stuff. All these little things I have remind me of memories from when I was little or little moments in my life. If I didn't have the object I know I would never even think of it. I think it's sort of the memories that I'm attached to and I feel that I'm throwing away the memory when I throw away the object.
On the other hand I just don't like having all this stuff. For example I have this huge bag of cards. I have almost every card ever given to me since I was like four years old, diaries from when I was a kid, even stuffed animals. I want to get rid of stuff but I don't want to lose the memory of it. And it's not only objects. I keep every email written to me from friends and I have msn conversations I've saved that I can't delete.
I just feel cluttered, yet too attached and weighed down by it all. Anyone in this situation or have any advice? Books or anything I can read that may help?
Thanks.

[JennaBoBenna]

Wow, that's how I am too!

I was thinking about taking digital pictures of my stuff and saving it on my computer, so that I have the memory still, but not the actual item. Haven't gotten to that yet, though.

[Colorawdo girl]

Hi...I recently gave away most of my possessions. I was weighed down. I kept select things. Feel good cards and letters n pictures. Rest gone.
I read about letting go. It is so freeing. Lighter is nice. weeeeeee

Life is not about what we hang onto but rather what we are willing to let go of.
Best to you in this.

p.s. packratting seems to come from a place of scarcity rather than abundance. We hold onto all thinking we might never get more if we give it away or get rid of it. Memories...are in our minds not in things. When we look forward, we are writing new life, back has been written and is in our heart(or else not worth remembering).

[rawbabymama]

I like http://www.flylady.net/ - it was created for housewives, but it is really helpful for all of us packrat types. :D

[Ilse W.]

I second Flylady.

[LotsaRaw]

Have you ever seen the TLC show Clean Sweep? This is a very common situation! One of the best bits of advice I have learned from this was to photograph the beloved item that is taking up valuable space that is not being used - and keep the photo and memories!

[sport]

I will be moving house soon and my plan is the leave everything in the current house and only move it as I need it. If I do not need it then it will not go.
This only works if, like me, you are only moving a little distance.

[Veganforlife]

Oh my gosh! I am so there. I am moving sooner or later to here or there, but it's gonna be a much, much smaller place. When my aunt passed, I got her stuff. When my Mom moved, I got her stuff. I acquired STUFF on my own. It's nuts!

I HAVE been taking photos of the STUFF and will have that memory.

It's crazy. I have a V-Dub and to haul this STUFF to goodwill is nutz-oh!

Can't take it with you when you go, but to have the memory on photos is way cool!

I am on a mission to get rid of. Period. Short. Sweet. Gone. Out of here. Adios!!! Poof! C U laydur. AWAY!!!

[EZ rider]

Instead of getting rid of stuff you could move to a bigger house with plenty of room for more. :)

[sport]

Instead of getting rid of stuff you could move to a bigger house with plenty of room for more. :)

Sooner or later this habit will catch up with you.

[Dimond]

I'm the opposite. I like to own as little as possible and even though I always get rid of things, it's still more than I'd like. Two ways to preserve memories, while taking up less space: scan letters, photos, other items to keep on your computer & make a backup as a precautionary method. The other is to journal your memories and also keep that on your computer. You can also print it up and make it into a book. If you enjoy a written journal, that can work too.

Emails can be copied and pasted into one document to save. Or one per person.

[Colorawdo girl]

On this side, it is the most freeing feeling to be unloaded of stuff. My place looks empty but I love the simplicity and having just the things I use.

I have noticed myself readying to paint in all this open space. Pretty neat. Freed up my creativity.

Its a real sweet feeling that I highly recommend.

[SweetTangerine]

I was raised in a military family for the first eight years of my life, so we moved around a lot. I got used to being able to sort through my toys and belongings and decide what I really liked and wanted, and what was taking up space. This habit has followed me into my adult life. Over the past five years I have moved six times. I drove across the country one of those times with all of my things being able to fit in the trunk of my Saturn. I love the feeling that I can get up and go where I want and not having to worry about all of my stuff. I very much enjoy being a minimalist and wouldn't want it any other way.

I guess my advice on this is to question your relationship with each and every one of your things. Why do you feel you need it? If you had no choice but to leave it behind, how badly would you really miss it? Would a picture of it help you leave it behind? You can start small too. Pick a day and say to yourself "I will give five things to goodwill." It doesn't matter how big or small the items are as long as there are five of them. Good Luck :)

[RawHeaven]

I just feel cluttered, yet too attached and weighed down by it all. Anyone in this situation or have any advice? Books or anything I can read that may help?
Thanks.

It might help to consider the energy of the clutter. Clutter can bog you down. Clutter on the floor tends to lead to depression. Clutter above tends to lead to spaciness and disorientation. In Feng Shui, the main concept is about having Ch'i or life force energy flowing freely. The more clutter there is, the more difficult it is for you to feel clear in your living or work space and the more difficult it will be for the Ch'i to to navigate around it. The less clutter there is, the better you'll feel. Freeing you up to truly be in a creative space and having greater mental clarity.

It takes time to get to the minimalist level or even releasing sentimental items. When you pick up an item, look at your emotional attachment to it. Some things you'll be able to let go of easily and others it may take 3 to 10 passes before you can give it away, throw it away or sell it (think yardsale). Try not to judge yourself to harshly. Create a few boxes if necessary and simply keep going through them periodically for those difficult to give away items. Eventually you'll be able to let them go. If at all possible, stop adding to the clutter. Do not buy unnecessary items. And only purchase things that you REALLY need or will wear for that matter.

When you're sorting through your stuff, you will not lose anything when you let it go. You are making room for what you're really needing in life. For example, I can't tell you how many times I've given clothes away and then I find that perfect item unexpectedly. Release, let go, receive. Think of it this way and it may help you a great deal.


Book recommendation: Lillian Too's 168 Feng Shui Ways to Declutter your Home

(((HUGS)))

ps. if you have a lot of "STUFF" ;), consider having a party and get your friends involved and help to toss things out and sort through things. Close friends who know you and will be honest with you! Sometimes we need that extra, uncomfortable nudge to let things go! Block yardsales are also a great invention ~ get your neighbors involved and make some cash while you're at it. Good luck!

[Veganforlife]

Instead of getting rid of stuff you could move to a bigger house with plenty of room for more. :)

NO! I did that and let me tell you - it's a nightmare! Cuz now I'm moving maybe? into a smaller house! DO NOT DO THAT!

[Veganforlife]

On this side, it is the most freeing feeling to be unloaded of stuff. My place looks empty but I love the simplicity and having just the things I use.

I have noticed myself readying to paint in all this open space. Pretty neat. Freed up my creativity.

Its a real sweet feeling that I highly recommend.

I so wanna be there. Not there as in YOUR open space, but having my simple open space. I'm getting there!

[LiveLife]

I TOTALLY have this same problema nd it drives my husband crazy! I have started to let some things go. Ironically, I love the idea of being a minimalist but when I mention that to people they laugh at me because I have so much stuff! I don't buy it, I just don't know how to say "no" when people offer it to me! But I started learning to say no to offers but still have to go through all of the stuff I already own! Suggestions?

[*RayRay*]

Life is not about what we hang onto but rather what we are willing to let go of.
yes....!


Everything me and my husband own we can fit in the trunk of our car! It is such a feeling of freedom.....when you are dying, you are probably not going to wish you had acquired more stuff...... you don't need every little detail of your life documented....you won't forget the important stuff!!! good luck with this....!

[curlygirl82]

I'm working on this right now, myself. It's hard, I know!

I really feel like all the clutter in my home is just a magnet for energy - MY energy, that I'd rather be expending on other things, creative projects! When I think of it that way, it's liberating to let go of things. I also have started finding really good homes for all my stuff - to friends and family. It feels so good to give somebody something that they really need and will enjoy! Much, much better than it feels having it sitting there!

I try to release one thing/day - either sell/donate/throw away/give away. It's been mostly give away, though. I try to think of it as - I'm not LOSING this, I'm just releasing what's keeping me bogged down... kinda like with releasing weight, if that makes sense. Every time I do it, it gets easier, too - 'cos if I'm on the fence about whether I really want/"need" to keep something, then go ahead and let it go, I notice that, a few hours later, I feel totally happy with having released it... it always surprises me how light I feel!

It sounds like you might have somewhat of an all-or-nothing mindset about this - maybe start letting go of things slowly, not all at once? It might be really alarming to let go of lots at once - but maybe pare things down, bit by bit, keeping what's really precious to you?

Best of luck to you, and thanks to all the other posters for that info!