Mindful Moving: Packing with Purpose – Part 3
Countdown app: 10 days until the Moving Truck arrives!
My trusty countdown app tells me that it is 10 days until the moving truck arrives to shift our lives from Los Angeles to Boston. Labor Day weekend was an intense packing experience. We made multiple trips to the U-Haul store for boxes, tape, and packing materials. We sorted through our stuff, boxing up our belongings for the journey. Most importantly, we made a whole lot of decisions about the future life we were building.
This question got asked a lot: “Does this (object) fit into our lives in our new home?”
Clutter Claims our Energy
For many of us, the most intense experiences of decluttering happen when we move from one house to another. If we are downsizing, it can be a particularly challenging time. Decluttering has the potential of helping to release the burdens of stuff that has accumulated over time.
Every item that we allow into our possession, no matter how we actually feel about it, stakes a claim on our life-force energy. Whether it is proudly displayed or hidden in the back of a basement or closet, the tie to our energy still exists. This holds true for the stuff in our garages, sheds, and even remote storage centers.
Decluttering Guidelines
Moving provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate each and every item attached to us. But let’s face it – sometimes we get mired in emotional baggage attached to things. It gets tough to make decisions.
By asking a few simple questions, we can get some quick clarity on whether or not an item deserves space in the new home you are creating. I’ve created a free printable download of these questions that you can take with you throughout the packing process. Click here to have it sent to you RIGHT NOW.
Most importantly, assess whether or not the object actually belongs in your new life. Holding on to items because you might need them, or out of a sense of guilt keeps you from claiming all of your vital energy as you enter the next chapter of your life. Gifts given to you are yours to keep or not as you choose. Absolve yourself from guilt and pass along family treasures to someone else that might truly appreciate them. Trust that you can easily manifest the financial resources to replace an item that you’ve been holding on to “just in case.”
When Packing Becomes Overwhelming
It hit me out of the blue. We were packing up our bedroom, and I had been doing just fine. I had just finished clearing the top of my twin dressers, carefully packing away my photos. I was ready to pull the empty dressers away from the wall so that I could vacuum behind them. As I pulled, the back panel of the dresser came apart. Clearly, after seven moves, they were too beat up and fragile to make the eighth move.
I was bowled over with sadness. I had bought these Ikea dressers back when I was in grad school. They had seen a lot of my life, and it felt hard to let them go after so long. It was all I could do not to cry as we loaded them up in the car to take them to Salvation Army.
When the emotions threaten to overwhelm your packing process, the best tool for moving through them while still honoring the feelings is gratitude. Recall all of the good feelings that the item has given you. Take pictures, if it will help your process of letting go. Thank the object for its faithful service and release it with love and gratitude.
I stood in the parking lot of the Salvation Army and opened the drawers one last time.
“Thanks, old friend, for getting through a huge part of my life. Thank you for holding my clothes and keeping me organized.” I felt a little stupid saying this out loud, but it really helped. We got in the car and returned to the house to have lunch and continue the process. I also spend some time in my Transitional Sacred Space, to help me reground and focus on my exciting new life ahead of me.
Make Time for People and Relationships
It’s easy to become consumed by the seemingly endless tasks associated with moving. Procrastination can leave you feeling burdened with too many jobs at the last minute. This makes it difficult to find time to say goodbye to friends and family. People and relationships are always more important than things. Make a commitment to make steady progress on the packing so that you have time in the end for farewells.
Read Part One: Mindful Moving: Empowering the Transition
Read Part Two: – Mindful Moving: Transitional Sacred Space Among Chaos
Clear your Space – Recharge your Self – Direct your Life
Latest posts by Christina Laberge (see all)
- Scent and Creating Sacred Space at Home - November 28, 2018
- Sacred Sound – Enhance Your Home - November 21, 2018
- Moving Cross-Country with Less Stress - October 4, 2018