Clutter

Pat and I went to a seminar on "Getting Organized" the other day. It was presented by Encore Professional Organizers. One of the things we took away from the session was an understanding of how we go through different 'seasons of life' and need different things in different seasons...And how saving and storing items from past seasons of our lives can hold us back from enjoying our current season. In other words, as an adult I don't really need to save my 4th grade papers. Or--saving my grandfather's fishing poles when he has been dead for 20 years is not necessary if I am not fishing with them.

We also learned how to deal with paper and mail by organizing them into categories; how to go about uncluttering a room or space in a systematic way; and how to organize time with useful list-making.
Here are some nice quotes I took away from the meeting:

"Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task" (William James)

"You can't have everything. Where would you put it?" (Steve Wright)

"Eliminate that which is worthless to make room for that which is priceless."

"Life is for living, not for having."

We had two reasons for going to this seminar. First, as we get ready to move (if our house ever sells), we are dealing with many decisions about what is worth keeping and what needs to be gotten rid of. Second, we have a tentative plan right now to build a 600 sq. ft. house on our daughter's property. That's a small house. Simplification, storage, and organization will be at the top of our list.

Didn't Jesus once tell a story about a man who was possessed by his possessions?