I tell this story in Grace, Not Perfection about trying to organize shoes in my closet. I tried all the fancy organizers, cubbies, shelves, racks, whatever. But nothing seemed to help my closet stay neat and tidy. At the end of the day, I realized I just have TOO MANY SHOES. Sometimes it’s not our lack of great organizers that’s the problem, it’s our overabundance of things. So, deep in the trenches of overwhelm, I’m letting go of things. Throwing out. Saying no. Cutting back. Pairing down. Stripping all the layers until I can get to the rich, good, beautiful heart of things. Less decision to make. Less choices. Less distractions. Less stuff. Less heaviness. Grace is light and pure and good. I’m reminded of the verse, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)” That lightness is what I’m searching for these days, in a way I’ve never searched for it before. Yes, this is deep and important and meaningful, but the steps toward that lightness I’m seeking are tactile, methodical, and physical.
- Following my gut when making travel or work commitments. This might not be right = no.
- Allowing myself to disappoint people outside my immediate circle of people. My people = my family.
- Treating myself like a delicate person. I’ve never wanted to be “one of those people” but by treating myself as a delicate person, I’m able to give myself permission to rest, to sit on the couch, to watch TV with the kids, to wander around the block and go outside and ignore the dishwasher.
- Throwing away and donating extra stuff in my house. Physical clutter = mental clutter.
- Ignoring the urge to create the next big thing, master another new project, or build something else.
This is an ongoing process for me, but so far, it feels really, really good. Hope this help you too.
xo,
Emily
