I have lived in my current home for almost fourteen years, the longest I have ever lived in one house. It is amazing to me how much clutter we have collected in those fourteen years. In the past we averaged about six years in one house. Every move was an opportunity to clear out and throw away things that were no longer useful. Each new home was an opportunity to arrange and organize the things we had kept – a place for everything and everything in its place. In each new home, everything felt fresh and new. Now it is time to look at my current home as if I were moving again.

I have been thinking that my spiritual life is a lot like living in a home. (I am speaking from a place of privilege here.)  I came into this world as a fresh and innocent baby. Along the way, I collected a lot of stuff – stuff that got crammed into the nooks and crannies of my conscious and unconscious mind. Some of the stuff is useful, some beautiful, and some very necessary for living life. Some is not so useful, some is ugly, and some is downright harmful. Over time I crammed all that stuff into my psyche and then forgot it. However all that stuff continued to hum in the background causing me to act unconsciously.

As I grow older I have a desire not only to declutter my home, but also to declutter my deep self. I want to let go of the stuff that no longer serves, both in my home and in my inner life. I want to find the fresh and new within myself. I want to rearrange the furniture and throw out the accumulation of junk that piled up when I wasn’t paying attention. I want to let the good stuff be displayed and let go of the stuff that holds me back or trips me up.

It is not easy to clean out the clutter. There are memories associated with even the most mundane things. That pin belonged to my grandmother; that table belonged to his grandparents. The high school yearbook brings back memories of youth. The clutter within is even more difficult to let go of. Some of it is hidden and difficult to find. Some of it has protected me and helped me to survive. Some of it is completely unconscious.

As I engage in a daily spiritual practice, I find that it becomes easier to let go of the things in my behavior which no longer serve. It becomes easier to forgive myself and others. It becomes easier to stay grounded and to allow my feelings to flow through me, not rule me. It becomes easier to let go of the clutter and be at peace.

However, the clearing out process takes intentionality and discipline. I have to set aside time and make an effort. I must do the work, or nothing changes. I can’t just say that I want to declutter, I must do actually do it.

As I begin to clear out the clutter in my home and in my psyche, I find that there is room for deeper connections with what remains. There is more joy and more peace. And I am grateful.

Barbara Garland
April, 2023