I finally did it. Something I’ve wanted to do for years—more years than I care to admit. I threw out that old box of tarnished, tangled, broken, and bent jewelry. Sounds simple, yes—but my decluttering self and my tree-hugging self have been at odds with one another for far too long, resulting in a whole lotta inaction, frustration, and even resentment. Ick!

For a brief moment, as all those itty bitty things settled into the pockets of space in the garbage, I felt guilty. (The planet! The garbage swirl! The earring-less women in the greater Boston area!) Moments later, that feeling morphed into liberation—and I went on a quick, 15-minute throw-away spree. I tossed my old metronome and tuner and oboe reed-making supplies. Bobby pins, safety pins, and all those plastic clips from the dry cleaner? Gone. That old keychain flashlight I carried in college? To the garbage. Even my favorite green fine-point pen that didn’t even have enough ink in it for me to scribble my first name was laid to rest—alongside the watermelon rinds and soiled parchment paper. I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after, too.

None of us are the sum of our possessions. They’re just things. But if the things that fill our homes are supposed to be a reflection of who we are and what we want out of life, then what does all that junk say about us?

Not every old item of mine is meant to have a second life. Sometimes, one person’s trash is just another person’s trash, too. I’m done with the guilt of holding on to decrepit and defunct stuff with the thought that somewhere there’s a person who is looking for exactly this crummy old thing. It’s just gotta go—even if it’s going to wind up in a landfill. Chalk it up to another life lesson about wants vs. needs. That less really is more. I repeat—for my benefit, and maybe yours, too:

Less is more.

The nicer, more meaningful things that I no longer have a need for—like my beloved cat’s old belongings or the butterfly candle holder my partner bought for me early on in our courtship? Now, that’s where good karma housekeeping comes into play.

“Clutter blocks success.”     

                                                                       –Christine Kane                     

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© 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because less really is more–even when it comes to jewelry. (Photo by frerieke via Creative Commons.)

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