Each year between Christmas and New Year’s eve, my man and I pick one or two days to do what has become a ritual in our home: we get rid of old stuff.
I’ve been a huge fan of having as little stuff as possible since I was 18 and lived in Amsterdam. With no permanent place to live, I had most of my stuff in the basement of my aunt’s house and had my essentials in a backpack.
When I met my man and decided to move in with him, I noticed that I didn’t miss all those items locked up in that basement, so I gave most of it away.
I still remember feeling so much lighter – a new, fresh beginning!
A few years later, I read about the old Chinese tradition of cleaning your house just before New Year, to ‘sweep away bad luck’. I loved that idea. But in my opinion, sweeping wasn’t enough.
And so I created a ritual of not only cleaning but also sorting out anything that’s no longer needed, useful or lost its meaning. Old clothes, magazines, books, cd’s, piles of paperwork that were hiding in boxes.
We tend to accumulate so much unneeded stuff in our lives – boxes we put in a closet somewhere, or clothes you never wear anymore. I feel that all that stuff clogs up our lives – without all that stuff I feel so much freer. There’s literally more room to breathe.
Try it for yourself: open all closets, empty out all boxes and see what you can let go of. What is no longer serving you? What is holding you back?
Set a clear intention: to let go of everything that is no longer needed, not only of your material stuff but also of old emotions, thought patterns or habits. Let it go!
Don’t just throw your stuff away, but recycle whenever possible (it’s always possible). There are plenty of ways to do that. Sell stuff on Marktplaats.nl, give it away through Facebook, bring it to your local charity store…
When you cleared out your home, clean it! Sweep away the bad luck!
Now, in your clear and clean home, let an intention arise for the New Year. Pick one that is uplifting and makes you smile.
Take a deep breath. Let it go.
Enjoy your New Year!
Text: Irina Verwer
Video: youtube/George Carlin/CappyNJ