I got rid of five pairs of shoes yesterday. That means ten shoes total, when you really think about it. I also put aside a small stack of books to give away and a modest-sized bag of clothes. My surroundings are still far from immaculate, but there is definitely more breathing space. Even though I am a sentimentalist to the core (I have a tiny chipped porcelain piggy bank on my bookshelf that I know I need to get rid of, but I’ve had it since I was a kid, so we haven’t parted ways yet), sometimes I get in the mood to simplify.

I actually think there’s something spiritual to a person’s home. If you hold onto a lot of possessions due to sentimental reasons or nostalgia, then you’re hunkering down into the past. If you give away or get rid of material things regularly, then you are opening up cosmic space so new things can enter your life. Does that sound like a bunch of granola? I believe it.