Finding Joy with The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

So here’s the deal: I need more JOY in my life. I think we ALL could use more Joy in our lives. Sure, there are things that make us happy… but wouldn’t it be great is everything we did, had, thought, and experienced actually brought us Joy?

I’ve been reading the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, by Marie Kondo. I picked it up after seeing her on TV talking about the first step in getting yourself organized: only keeping those items that give you joy.

I’ve been struggling with some things lately, mainly the clutter in my house and how it’s effecting the clutter in my mind. I know that one directly effects the other. I get it… but still, I was the one going from room to room trying to tidy up and never really making a dent. What Marie explains in her book is that just tidying up doesn’t really solve the problem that WE HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF! Putting it all in cute little containers isn’t fixing the real issue: most of this stuff isn’t making us happy.

This isn’t a book review – I didn’t get sent a free copy – I purchased it on Amazon just like everyone else. But I sat and read through the book (an easy read, by the way) and was nodding my head at every page. This is exactly what I needed to hear: only keep those things that bring me joy.

So… I’m on a mission to de-clutter and tidy up my house (and my life) once and for all. Marie suggests we start with the clothing. I’m going to get the kids, and maybe the husband, on board for this and we are getting rid of every piece of clothing (and shoes and purses) that don’t scream JOY to us. If we don’t love it and it doesn’t make us happy… bye bye bye!