Cleaning House!!!

"Clutterbug", "Packrat", .....those are all pretty good descriptions of me about six months ago. I have this terrible fear that something I pay good money for will come in handy at some other point in life. I know this sounds crazy, but I HATE to throw things away. What usually ends up happening, is in all the mess, I end up going to the store and buying some article, because I can't find what I need.

Over the course of time, this fear of lack has totally taken control of me in all aspects of my life. I truly think this attitude stems back to moving 25 or more times throughout my childhood as a military brat. We wouldn't ever clean house....we would just move. Needless to say, that doesn't really work for me now. I have lived in the same house for the last eleven years and am a little overwhelmed.

I don't really think I noticed the problem until a great deal of introspection after my Grandma passed away. She was a young girl in the Depression and the whole "fear of lack" attitude had valid reasoning. My Grandma actually had records in her garage dating back to the 40's. She saved every scrap of material. Every drawer and closet in her home was overflowing. I feel so sorry for my Aunt Susie, who is currently trying to finalize Grandma's estate.

Really getting rid of that "fear of lack" requires faith. I have to admit, mine has been shaken in the past year by all the adversity my family has faced. My favorite line in "Great is Thy Faithfulness" is .....All that I need thy Hand hath provided. This introspection has lead me to this need to live my life to the fullest and to start "cleaning house"!!

Financially, I paid off every bill we owe. We currently only have a small amount left on my mortgage. Jeff and I sold off rental properties and an extra lot (which is going to bless us with new neighbors by Thanksgiving).

Physically, I have lost 30 pounds and am working on another 25 pounds (see previous blog "Weight Loss Journey"). I am not allowing lack of food to control my eating habits. I truly thought I would "die" if I did not get enough sugar (i.e. donuts, pop, candy, cookies). It was an addiction and I am still battling it, but have made great strides.

Mentally, I am trying to get rid of those negative thoughts. I have a tendency to be overwhelmed and just give up on doing anything positive in my life. Writing has helped me to focus on the positive.

By taking some small baby steps, it has snowballed. My best friend, Angela, came over and helped me clean out my closet. I literally had clothes from every decade and I hauled off over twenty humungous, black, Hefty trashbags of outdated, never-fit-well clothes to Goodwill.

Jeff and I have started a remodel project on the house. With Ty being a junior, we only have one more year till he is on his own. If I was ever going to clean house...now would be the time.

I went threw my pantry and removed outdated cans and old jelly I had canned in 2000. My next project includes the "dreaded freezer".

This "cleaning house" attitude has made a big difference in my life. I try to do atleast one project a week. It is carrying over into everyday living. I hope this inspires you to throw out some old things to get better control of your life. It really is empowering. The baggage I carried around was very discouraging. Getting rid of it has allowed for better self esteem, control in my life and room to bring in some new ideas. Give it a try.