Your life is precious. Everything in your life that you can control should bring you joy. And there’s a lot you can control.
A good place to start is your home. This is the place that shelters your magnificent self and your fabulous loved ones. Does everything in your home bring you joy? Does your home support the lifestyle you want to have?
A few weeks ago, I would have said yes. I love my home, with its colorful pastel walls, bright artwork, and cozy furnishings. But as I looked deeper and started focusing on each item in my home, I realized I had books I never read, gifts I kept out of guilt, and old letters and journals that made me feel sad. I had clothes I didn’t like and an overflowing storage closet that I dreaded opening.
Not everything in my home was supporting my joyful lifestyle. I came to this realization with the help of Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Disclosure: This is an affiliate link, and I will get a tiny percentage of the sale from amazon if you purchase through this link. I wasn’t asked or paid to write this review.)
Marie shares her method of determining what brings you joy and what can be discarded. What I love about it is that by building confidence in feeling your joy with the little items in your home, you’re better able to feel what brings you joy in the bigger areas of your life, like your career and relationships.
When I picked up this book, I wondered how life-changing it could truly be. However, a day after going through the first discarding stage of this book, I came home from the gym and told my husband I was ready for a BIG change in our lifestyle. Our apartment lease was almost up, and I was ready to sell everything and make a big move.
There are many gems in this book, along with a few suggestions that we chose not to follow. I’m looking forward to sharing more of how the life-changing magic worked for us soon!
Even if you don’t read the book, I encourage you to look around your home today. Notice how many items fill you with joy, and how many just create clutter. Anything that doesn’t bring you joy is a waste of your precious time, money, and energy.
If you find it difficult to determine what would bring you joy in the bigger areas of your life, start with the small things. Marie recommends beginning with the clothes in your closet because there is less emotional attachment to them. Pick up each item, one at a time, and notice if you feel a spark of joy or not.
Build your awareness of what joy feels like (that sweet message from your spirit) with the little things. Then you’ll have the confidence you need to make joyful changes in the bigger areas of your life.
Sending lots of love to you and your home!
