I've been cleaning out my closet. And, for any of you who know me, you know how difficult this is. (See last post about the 10 year old sweater.)
I was the girl in college who you went to for dresses: from recitals to mixers, I had you covered... I counted once, I had over 200 dresses. Yikes.)
It's so hard for me to part with things because I associate memories so closely to what I wore... or really anything. I deal with so much guilt in parting with things.
Common reasonings being: "I don't want the person who gave it to me to think I'm ungrateful," "I spent a lot of money on it," "someone else spent a lot of money on it," "what if...," and "I don't want them to be upset."
I suffer from the guilt of stuff.
Maybe you suffer from it too? You desperately want to declutter, but there's so many things you can't seem to sell or donate. I'm here to say, it's OK.
The KonMari method really helped me. You acknowledge your things, like a going-away party. You say thank you, you think about the nice times you had, and then you say goodbye. This helped me get rid of a lot of my guilt.
I enjoyed the pieces, we had some great times, but they're just not working for me where I am currently. A lot of my closet is not set up for the California weather. Being from the South, I'm used to it being hot or cold... not both in one day.
Remember, your memories are not attached to things. They're attached to you. That's a pretty liberating realization.
I'm working on whittling my closet down to a year-round 72 piece capsule wardrobe. I'm half way there. I have a huge donation pile, and a much smaller pile for really nice items to sell. These are just a couple of pieces.
I have lots of Lacoste, Theory, Donna Karen, JCrew, Burberry, Kate Spade.. pretty much any preppy designer. I like classic clean lines with a boho flair. It ranges from gifts from the family, to things I saved and saved for. All of these pieces brought me so much joy, and I have such good memories from them, but It's time they got a second life.
I also realize, I don't take nearly as many pictures of myself as I used to take. (Which I think is a good thing.)
Instead of focusing on filling my closet and empty spaces, I'm now focusing on pieces and things I truly love. Things that have a function. Things that can be repaired and mended. Things that are practical and versatile.
I don't want to be a part of a throwaway society. I want my things to matter and have purpose.
Do you struggle with the guilt of stuff?
