I mentioned in my last post that Ken and I started converting one of the upstairs rooms into an office. The cleaning-out part is done, and there are a few things that will go into storage, a few that will go to Goodwill, and a few that we'll put in a garage sale this spring.I know this looks like a boring old empty room, but it's amazing how liberating it is to clear out the unused, old junk and replace it with new, improved junk! Ha! I'm kidding...it really did feel good to reclaim this room and know that we can put it to good use. (The reason it wasn't being used is a story for another day.) It was dismaying to see the disarray (also a story for another day), but it really didn't take that long to weed through and clean it out. We look forward to getting the desk moved upstairs and making the room a part of our living space rather than a closed-off room that is never used.
As the end of the year approaches, cleaning out this room made me think of how akin it is to cleaning out our mind's clutter. Do you have a room in your mind that you have closed off, rarely venturing in to explore what is there, leaving the contents to grow dusty and the corners to grow cobwebs? It can't be healthy...who knows what might be growing and lurking in there? Just as cleaning this room resulted in some startling finds (some pleasant, some not-so-pleasant, some that made us shake our heads in dismay), cleaning that room in our minds can also have startling results, some pleasant, some not-so-pleasant.
But it's something that really has to be done, otherwise we're left with a head filled with unpleasant memories and moldering detritus. It serves no purpose other than to drag us down and rob us of our current happiness. I hope everyone can face whatever nastiness is in that closed-off room and clean it out for the new year. It might seem to be a daunting task, with way too many things running around in there, but it really does feel good to get it done.
With our empty room, we now have a clean slate, a room we can make our own. It really is liberating, and I think you'll have the same feeling when you reclaim your room.
You can either hold on to the past and hope things go back to the way they were (unlikely), or move forward with a better agenda. We wisely chose to move forward :o)
ReplyDeleteHi Beth,
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence ... I've been doing the same exact thing this weekend ... or at least similar: Upgrading my home office/spare bedroom" which meant out with the old, in with the new. It sure felt liberating getting rid of old stuff. Must be a "New Year" thing!
Best,
Marty
We must be on the same wave length. Just yesterday Doug & I were looking around shaking our heads at all the "stuff" we have and said we are going to clean up and put it all in a box and take it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
ReplyDeleteHappy 2009!!! Cheers to a fresh start. :)
I think I have an idea of the previous use of this room. It can't be an easy thing to deal with. Glad it's done with and the room can once again be used.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Jamie
It feels so good to let go...of things...that's why I clean out "stuff" at least twice a year. good entry, lots of "food for thought".
ReplyDeleteGlad that you got the room cleared out and look forward to seeing it once again when it is the OFFICE !!
ReplyDeleteIt is a woderful idea to clear out these hidden places and to greet the new year with a clean slate.
Much Love to you both Sybil xx
I have a closet that could use reclaiming. How soon can you get here? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have an extra room at my house that has always been my little office space. I have a huge desk in it where I could set up my lap top or where I could do my crafts. Right now it is so hidden you cannot see it. The whole room is packed with things that need to go up to the attic. It will be one of the things I start on when the New Year comes. 'On Ya'-ma
ReplyDeleteWe are cionstantly cleaning out our basement but it never really gets cleaned, just like my mind. Anzious to see the oics when tou get it converted. Lucy
ReplyDeleteI get the mind clutter clearing very well. I try to dispose of a portion every month. Most everything(actually everything) is inconstant and transitory, if we only recognize that and accept it.
ReplyDelete~Mary
Very good entry, Beth. The first of every new year is always a good time to start anew. But when things are going bad....any day we can determine to start fresh, at noon, midnight or the next morning. I wish I had a room to clean out. This mobile is so small...I just need one more room and I'd be set. I'm so sick of having my "office" on the dining room table.
ReplyDeleteMy front room is the crappiest room in the house. I've always hated that because that's what people see first. If you have $3000 for a gorgeous sleeper sofa I've been wanting, I would be okay with it. hee hee....
ReplyDeleteHey, I made friends with your cousin Shane, on Facebook! Small world, ain't it?
ReplyDeleteI soooo need to do this!!! LOL
ReplyDeleteGood for you! Be sure and post a picture when you get it all done. I love before and after pictures!
Love,
Melissa
hmm, interesting. I onced loved a man who did not love me back and a friend would tell me that this man kept me in a box (not literally) and would take me out only when he needed to use me. So, your room entry here makes sense. XO
ReplyDeleteThe feeling of liberation you have when you have a good clear out is amazing and it does make for a clearer mind too.
ReplyDeleteYasmin