Hi Reader,
I have a pretty, simple, uniquely-me home office.
For months, I kept choosing to work at the kitchen table instead.
My husband teased me about it constantly. And honestly, I started to wonder the same thing he did. Why wasn't I using the office I had set up with so much organization and ease?
So I did what any organizer does. I investigated.
I studied my office shelves. And there it was. A stack of old journals, filled with years of my life. Happy memories, and plenty of teenage angst. The amazing, tough years when I was chasing acting in New York. Pages of longing to find my soulmate, prayers for healing, callings back to childhood dreams.
Years of life. Joy, laughter, regret and heartache.
They were my past insecurities, sitting right there on the shelf. And now, feeling like I'm in a new phase of life, something in me knew it was time to let them go.
I asked my husband what he thought. He said, "We can burn them! It will be fun!"
I busted out laughing. He's so rugged.
And then I sat on that idea for months.
Because here's the truth. I was afraid. Afraid that if I truly let those journals go, I would lose a big part of myself. That the girl in those pages would disappear if I stopped storing the innermost secrets of my childhood self.
Maybe you know that fear. Especially as you prepare for the Holiday season and you find old memories tucked away in decor bins. It's the same one that whispers over a box of your own keepsakes. "What if I need it again? What if letting this go means losing part of who I am?"
So we hold on. And the weight stays, quietly, on a shelf and in our hearts.
If you've felt that, you're not behind and you're not alone. Sentimental clutter is the hardest kind precisely because it isn't really about the stuff. It's about who we were, staring down who we're becoming.
Then one night, my husband and I put the journals in the fireplace he re-designed and tiled in beautiful white marble, and we burned them together.
It was surreal. I stood there next to the man I had prayed for, for my whole life. And my entire body filled with unexplainable gratitude. Thankful for the prayers God answered. And, oddly, just as thankful for the ones He didn't. Grateful for how He had carried me, all the way to that quiet, beautiful moment.
I said goodbye to the fun, daring, happy little girl. I said goodbye to that insecure, hurt, anxiety-ridden, people-pleasing teenager in those pages.
And I welcomed the adventurous, calm, confident, God-trusting woman standing at the fire.
I cried.
Now, when I walk into my office, that strange, underlying burden on my soul isn't there anymore. I feel focused. Ready for the purposes God has laid on my heart for this season of life.
Here's what I learned, and it's the whole heart of this. We think letting go is ONLY about feeling the pain of a loss. And that part is real. It's uncomfortable, and our brains don't want to do it.
But it's also about gratitude. And excitement for what's to come.
In the book, I put it this way:
You may look at the pile of items you're releasing and think, "What if I need it again?" Instead, look at all the items you've chosen to keep, and let gratitude sweep over you. Reclaim Your Space with G.R.A.C.E.
That's the turn. Gratitude doesn't count what you're losing. It looks at everything you get to keep, and how far you've been carried.
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
In all of them. The prayers answered and the ones still waiting. The chapters you're proud of and the ones that hurt.
And there's more to it than the feeling or the spiritual practice. The research I cite in the book is real. Practicing gratitude regularly is tied to lower anxiety and depression, better sleep, and less stress. When we pause in the middle of decluttering to give thanks instead of bracing against loss, the whole thing gets more peaceful. Calmer. Kinder to us.
So this week, as we turn our thoughts towards Thanksgiving and being grateful, I invite you to try the smallest version of this. Before you release one single thing, don't start with the pain. Start with gratitude. Look at everything you've chosen to keep, and let that wash over you first. Then let the weight go.
This is the Release step of my G.R.A.C.E. Method, and gratitude is woven through all of it. If you'd like the fuller picture, with the quotes and the research and the five simple steps, it's all in my book, Reclaim Your Space with G.R.A.C.E. Grab a copy and read it with a cup of tea!
What's one thing you've been afraid to let go of, because you thought you'd lose yourself without it?
Hit reply and let me know. Though I may not have time to reply, I read every response.
Be Extraordinary,
P.S. A couple of links here are affiliate links, which just means I may earn a little at no extra cost to you. I only share what I actually use and recommend.
ADD A LITTLE BEAUTY TO YOUR LIFE
Reclaim Your Space with G.R.A.C.E., my book. Over 380 copies of the book and audiobook combined. Grab a copy and read it with a cup of tea.
Book a 1:1 In-person or Virtual Organizing Session. Let's build systems that hold in your real, full life.
3. Listen to a Podcast!
This week: "How Clearing Your Physical Clutter Helps You Hear God's Voice" on #12minconvos with Jesus Believers, hosted by Engel Jones. It pairs with this week beautifully: when we clear the weight we've been carrying, we make room to hear Him. 🎧 Listen here.
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