"Giveaway pile..."

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Shared by Breanne Smedley

In our spare bedroom right now, there is a large pile of things that I am anxiously waiting to haul off to a donation center.
Like many, I've used some of quarantine time to deep clean and purge.
Drawers of things that had just become toys for Charlee to make messes with.
 
Old clothes that I haven't worn in years, but never got rid of because "I paid a lot of money for them and I might wear them again SOMEDAY!" Buh-bye!
Random objects that had just become part of my environment...but until now hadn't really stopped to ask myself, "Do I need that? Do I want that?"
 
Like the toaster oven. I haven't made toast or used it for 5 years...why do I need it?
Or the 50 water glasses we've accumulated, when we use the same 3 on a weekly basis. When will we ever need that many?
 
While I'm waiting for a 50-person party to arrive at my house, the glasses are taking up space.
In my cupboard, but also in my mind.
I used to think that I needed to keep everything that had come into my possession at one point or another in my life. That if I got rid of it, then I would find myself desperately needing it.
Or that I'd waste money.
Or lose the memory associated with it.
Operating from a sense of scarcity, I held on to some of these things for fear that they would be gone forever if I got rid of them.
 
As I've gone through and allowed myself to release some of these things, I've experienced a sense of freedom, calm, and clarity.
What feels even better is the lack of desire to go out and replace all of the stuff that I'm planning to donate with new stuff.
 
Seeing our space and our possessions through a lens of abundance.
Knowing that there's enough to go around.
And that I can always buy more.
More clothes. More toys. The new car. The new phone.
But, there is freedom knowing that I can, but choose not to.
 
Because it's not about how much I can accumulate and hold onto for status.
It's about creating a space full of what is essential and life-giving.
Getting rid of the rest and allowing myself to expand, rather than my things.
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