Something is happening to me.
It’s subtle.
It’s profound.
It’s undetectable to the outsider.
But I feel it.
It’s vibrational.
That’s it. It’s vibrational.
It has to do with the commitment I made to “not buy clothes, used or new” for the entire year. All of 2023. And let me just say I am someone who habitually drops by the corner thrift shop on a weekly basis to “just see” what treasure may appear – a “new” pair of UGG boots, a “new” cashmere sweater, a “new” bag.
Let me dial back to mid-January. I’m driving along Garland Avenue, and I thought, “Oh, I’ll just pop into the American Cancer Society Thrift Shop to see what’s there.” My body felt the impulse to turn the wheel and direct the car to the corner of Post and Garland. As I felt the impulse and had the thought, the following thought came, “Oh, that’s right, I’m not DOING THAT this year.”
The serotonin-hit I was about to get evaporated as fast as the thought came. I could almost feel the dopamine drop. “Right, I’m NOT DOING THAT this year,” I reminded myself. The next thought was: “Oh, and it’s only January 23rd.”
“It’s ok,” I reassured myself. “You just went to that clothes exchange last weekend and got rid of four bags of clothes and came home with five “new to you” items. You’ve gotten your shopping hit for the month.”
By February, I could feel the habitual impulse to thrift shop waning. I began listening to a podcast called The Wannabe Minimalist which talks all about the benefits of simplifying, owning less, being able to find your things, having more time because there’s not nearly as much mess to sort through.
This podcast offered a 30-day challenge to clear out your home. I took it on. I’m in the process now and it is changing me. Vibrationally.
Take the gray towels I bought at Costco over two years ago for example. First off, I already had towels I loved. They were gray, thin, very absorbent. I only had six, which was fine. But on one Costco run, I impulsively plopped four fluffy gray towels into my cart. They promised luxury, a satisfying after shower drying experience. The moment I tried them, disappointment set in. They weren’t nearly as absorbent as my own towels. Water sat on my skin when I tried to dry myself. I used them a few times, and they consistently disappointed.
So, the towels sat there, folded in the closet for two years. Each time I opened the closet, I felt that dash of dissatisfaction, a sprinkle of guilt for the impulse buy, and a pinch of wastefulness. Each time I opened the closet I was spritzed with these unpleasant feelings just by looking at them.
All that ended last week when I chose to put them in a donation bag and take them to my favorite thrift shop. Now when I open the bathroom closet door and see my favorite towels neatly stacked in a spacious arrangement, I feel happy, relaxed. Calm.
I continue to declutter. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve moved out at least 10 or 11 large bags of clothes and things in my house. I am beginning to feel a sense of JOY when I look around my house because I’m keeping ONLY those things I love. This process is teaching me to let go of those things in life that are not a vibrational match to my most joyful, loving self.
It’s all about choosing.
It’s about letting go.
It’s about choosing love, joy and happiness.
Letting go of discontent, guilt, responsibility.
My home is getting a clutter colonic and I am feeling clearer and lighter as each bag of stuff trundles off to the goodwill or some thrift shop to be donated.