I often reflect on the impact 24 things has had on my life. Eliminating objects from my home became a liberation not only from physical possessions, but also from the life I had imagined for myself as a married woman. Anyone who has been through a major life change will know that you must shift your whole perception of self and reinvent yourself in your new surroundings. When my husband first left I redecorated my apartment immediately, but buried most of his belongings out of sight or piled them into my front spare room. He slowly came back to reclaim some of the things, but a year after he'd moved out, most of it was still lingering around. Attending Marylee's workshop in April gave me the strength to begin clearing it all away.
After eliminating so many unwanted objects and items, I was able to transform my apartment from a place where I came to sleep and work, to a refuge where I feel at home and surrounded by clear, uncluttered, inviting space. My front room that was overfilled with my husband's workout equipment is now a meditation sanctuary and library where I go to relax, journal, read, and reconnect. I feel at peace just watching as the sun shines in through the clear windows each morning.
When I told people I was doing 24 things, the part they most often cringed about was not making unnecessary purchases for the duration of the purge. Although I've always been frugal, I've learned a lot about my buying and spending habits in these few months. I took Marylee's suggestion in the first 24 days and kept a mental list of the things I wanted to buy (I decided not to write them down since I figured if they weren't important enough to remember they weren't important enough to buy.) On day 25, just before my birthday, I realized I no longer cared to buy the three things that had made my list. I also discovered in the first 24 days that many of my purchases are done on impulse and that waiting just 24 hours often allowed me to rethink and reconsider. Before I would walk into a store for one item and come out with a shopping bag filled with things only to find when I returned home that I'd forgotten about the one thing I really needed. Now when I go shopping I stay focused on what it is that I came for and even though I find myself browsing, I seldom buy more than I intended. When I see something that I really like I consider the following: Do I really need this? How will it be used? Do I have something already that is just as useful? Where will I put it? For clothing: is this something I'll feel comfortable wearing all the time or is it just for rare occasions? I've found that this silent reflection alleviates my indecision and usually leads to me returning the item to the shelf unless it really is something useful.
The physical release of these objects also led to an emotional release. I realized through it all that most of the objects in my home held very real, very painful memories. Getting rid of the objects meant getting rid of the stories attached to them. Keeping this blog allowed me to reflect on my past relationship and myself so that I could move on with more clarity. Although remembering can be a way of reliving, it was also a way of relieving. I realized that I didn't need to stay caught up in the stories of my past any more than I needed to keep the objects lying around my home.
Looking back, the first half of 2013 was a cleansing, a clearing away that allowed for a gradual transformation. Writing freed up something inside of me too and allowed me to go forward with my life, stronger than before. In the second half of the year, just after the final donation, I really began living for myself, exploring things I'd long dreamed of doing but had put off to focus on my marriage. In the summer, I took road trips around New England and traveled alone to Peru to hike and camp in the Andes mountains and explore Machu Picchu. In the fall, I took classes in piano, American Sign Language, and Buddhist studies. I started a yoga program at the high school where I work and took on a more active role in the teachers' union. Most of all, I've begun to find my voice again.
The past year has truly been a time of transformation for me and I know that Marylee and 24 things played a major role in the change. Although I will be leaving this blog after this post, there are many things started here that I plan to continue. I plan to start another website/ blog devoted to travel writing and will share the link here as soon as it has been created. If you've read this far, thank you. Thank you to everyone who was reading regularly and giving me support as I was writing, you've played a major role in this process. I hope that I was able to inspire you to let something go from your life. Sometimes it's the things we hold to the strongest that act as anchors, holding us in place. Go ahead, let go. Although the new found freedom might feel foreign at first, have faith that in time you'll embrace the feeling and allow the winds of change to lead you peacefully into the future.
