By Irene Conlan -
We had a “garage sale” yesterday. Some people call them “yard sales.” We sold neither a garage nor a yard. We don’t even have a garage. In some parts of the country they are “Tag sales” and I doubt if tags are sold. But you know what I’m talking about.
We put out the “stuff” we no longer used, needed or wanted outside in our driveway for other people to look at and determine if they wanted it, needed it or could use it. We had a king size comforter, a wing back chair, the children’s books Jack has outgrown. There was a bowling ball we acquired somehow even though none of us bowl. Some just-like-new ski boots that we couldn’t attach to an owner were in the mix and various kitchen items that we hoped someone else could use – a blender, a Foreman grill and a coffee maker. Office supplies, outgrown toys, some still useable pots and pans, some things we had received and never used (you know the kind of things I mean – stuff that you wouldn’t use in a million years but didn’t think you could “re-gift” either.). Lamps, some tools, tablecloths, and pictures rounded out the mix and before we even got the signs up people were here.
The first person arrived precisely at 6 a.m. (we were planning on 7 a.m.) By 9 a.m. almost everything was gone and when the next person showed up in a very old and shabby van looking for anything they could afford, my son told them to take everything that was left. The man wasobviously overjoyed and they loaded the van and we were all happy about the outcome.
And it was fun. I had a large bag that I used it when my grandson was tiny – it was black and covered with drawings of pink, green, blue and orange cats of all sizes. Garish but wonderful. It served as purse and diaper bag. I don’t need it anymore. The lady who bought it was obviously excited to find it and held on to it like she was afraid someone else would take it first. The purse had a lot of wonderful memories for me and I have an idea that it will be meaningful to her as well. She was shopping for her granddaughter who was moving into her first apartment so she filled the cat-purse up with kitchen utensils and some old silverware. Another one bought a tooled leather purse that I had made in Home-Economics in high school in the fifties. I haven’t used it since then so why was I keeping it? You would think she found the diamonds on the sunken Titanic and she thanked and thanked me for making it available.
It’s a great feeling to get rid of the clutter. The shelves and cabinets now have space and the house both looks and feels better.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could have a sale of old, unneeded, and perhaps overwhelming debilitating negative emotions? If you could, would you sell the ancient festering anger at a discount and maybe even give some bitterness and guilt away for free? What kind of grudges are you holding that clutter up your mind and close your heart? Where do you harbor unforgiveness that takes up so much space?
Take some time do do the inner search for things you no longer need. Old anger, bitterness, guilt, grudges, resentment, regret, et.al. don’t serve you. You can clean house and let it go by intention and by choice. Sometimes you need help to bring it all out and sometimes you need assistance in letting it go. If so, find a therapist or a coach because the payoff is greater than anyone can count and you’ll have new emotional currency available to spend on your own happiness and the welfare of others .
Irene Conlan has a master's degree in nursing, with a major in nursing administration and a minor in psychiatric nursing. She taught nursing at Arizona State University, served as Director of Nursing Administration at St. Luke's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix and served as Assistant Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services for the Division of Health Care Facilities and Emergency Medical Services. She is also a certified hypnotherapist with a practice in Scottsdale, AZ. She is an avid blogger and manages http://www.theselfimprovementblog.com http://www.theselfesteemblog.com http://www.thepositivepsychologyblog Irene lives in Scottsdale AZ and has two sons and three grandsons.
|
Thank you so much for sharing this post with us. Your keen ability to write it so wonderfully and the positive that it brings to anyone who wants or needs to improve their personal life. I enjoyed the read and the meaning that you projected.
Really, really good metaphor for clearing our your own mental and emotional clutter and giving yourself the space to move forward in life!
Dr. Conlan,
What a great article! We all need to periodically clear out the clutter in our lives. It can be difficult to let go of \things,\ even when we don’t need them anymore. We get used to our surroundings, just as we get used to our habitual thoughts and emotional states, even when they don’t serve our best interests. Introspection is the first step in making a positive change. Letting go of what we are accustomed to can be a bit scary, but worth it in the end.