Out with the old and In with the new!

It's that time of the year again when we clear our closet, clear out the dirt, mop the floor... You get the drift.

Thanks to my procrastination and sheer laziness (plus lots of excuses), I have amassed a wardrobe/room that has already busted it's seams (and probably created a perfect/cosy nesting ground for some insects and at the same time a bermuda triangle for my clothes as well). With a wardrobe/room like that, I still can't find anything to wear. So with sheer determination (and also to stick to my new year resolution), I have decided to downsize!  

I rolled up my sleeves yesterday night and started the action. Man! That was hard work! Well amidst the sweat and moments of "What have I gotten myself into", there were waves of nostalgia and memories. I remember pulling out a dress that I wore on my first day at university. I also found my school's hockey jersey from my distant sporty past. There were random stuff too - bottles of nail polishes, knick knacks from my travels, gifts from friends, notes for assignments etc. A few hours into action and 6 bags of garbage later, I felt lighter. Not kilos wise but just more relaxed and calm.

All these years, I struggled with my inability to let go of my possessions (Note: Hoarder!) due to my penchant for nostalgia and memories. In order to move on and further, you just got to let go and move on. This is especially so when you plan to do bigger and more exciting things. So after chucking away so much and 6 garbage bags, I am still chucking. I am still throwing and I am still packing but I am glad that I am at it. And unlike the last few times, I am not going to give up halfway this time. It feels nice to be freed from all these possessions.

Throwing away so much also redefine my role as a consumer. Spending money on frivolous things and buying too much when I only use so little. Chucking out so much stuff really gave me a wake up call about my own wastage. Decluttering, although hard, is very therapeutic for the soul indeed.

I leave you with a (part of a)quote from Ryan Bingham in the movie "Up in the Air"

The slower we move the faster we die. Make no mistake, moving is living. Some animals were meant to carry each other to live symbiotically over a lifetime. Star crossed lovers, monogamous swans. We are not swans. We are sharks. 

How apt!