Green Living: Declutter, Donate, & Enjoy

by Barbara Tako

The economy is uncertain. Isn't it a bad time to declutter? Maybe we should save what we have in case we need it some day (maybe sooner than we'd thought)? I don't think so. I think many of us still suffer from an overabundance of stuff. It will be kinder to ourselves and to the world if we continue to clear out clutter, especially if we can weed out wisely.

If you are having tough economic times, consider using the Internet and other avenues to sell items you don't need. Maybe the cash to pay the bills and put food on the table would be more helpful to you right now than the extra stuff at home. Think about wants versus needs as you look through your stuff.

If your circumstances are okay but you are still mired down with extra stuff, consider donating to your favorite charity. When you donate to your favorite charity, you help the charity as well as the people who ultimately receive your extras. You also help yourself by creating open spaces in your home as well as time and energy for your priorities.

There is an additional bonus. We are not just helping ourselves and other people when we donate our extra household goods. We are living green because we aren't adding to a landfill and contributing to our environmental problems. Our extras are finding homes where they are needed and appreciated instead of going to waste, literally.

Maybe our instinct right now is to cling to what we have. If we have too much and our clutter is draining and frustrating us, then now, more than ever, it is time to let it go. If we are learning anything, perhaps we are learning that happiness doesn't come from stuff, and acquiring more and more stuff hasn't made us happier and happier.

I have been in modest uncluttered homes that glow with love and energy. These are homes where anything is possible: reading a book, playing a game, having a spontaneous get-together with friends or neighbors. Sadly, I have also been in expensive stuff-filled homes that seem to suck the vitality from their owners. These are homes where the owners would feel too depressed by the clutter around them to sit and read a book, or maybe they wouldn't be able to find the game under the piles of stuff, or perhaps they would be too embarrassed to invite the neighbors in to visit.

Maybe it is how we live rather than what we have that creates joy. Perhaps it doesn't matter how much we have. Maybe it matters more whether or not the stuff we have is uncluttered, clean, repaired, and maintained. Our stuff can support us rather than the other way around. If we work to create this kind of environment in our homes, we can help others and we can all live a sustainable life. Will you try it?