“We cannot measure abundance by what we accumulate. Abundance is an experience of the heart, a wind that blows through us like a flute.  Our treasures are in the eye, the ear, and in the heart, that feels the wonder of things. ”

– Wayne Muller, Legacy of the Heart.

Let go without letting go.  “No regrets” decisions.

Phrases I use often enough but how do we do this?

Below, I share with you the first five of my top 10 questions  — ones you may not have thought of before today.

My Letting Go questions:

#1  What is it you want more time for?

What is important in this chapter of your life.

If I had less stuff to deal with, I’d have more time for ____________________.

I want to be a better role model for ___________.

I want time for me, to _________________.

#2  What does “organized enough” mean to you? Look like to you? Feel like?

Go to the area you’re thinking about working on and ask this question, then sit with it for 5 minutes. Close your eyes if that helps.

Go one level deeper. “I want to find things more easily SO THAT I can …” What does organized enough mean to you? It’s not so that your home can look like someone else’s, or how it “should” be. What do you want?

#3 If I walked into your home or home office today, what would I know about you by looking around?

Or any stranger, new friend, new relative, or new colleague. Is this an accurate picture of who you are?

What needs to leave the premises, so we to accurately describe who you are (today)?

#4  As you walk around, what things do not have a home yet? Do they need a home? Or are they taking up precious space?

What other things are hiding in the homes you want to give these important things? Which group could you reduce, or let go of? Reduce, not eliminate. A favorite phrase.

#5 Choose a donation location before you begin, not at the end of your project.

As you decide you’ll be working on clearing out your clothes closet for example, decide who might enjoy the clothes you’ll give away? A friend who has always admired your clothing? A family transition home? People re-entering the workforce?

Deciding on a donation place first makes it easier to let go — because you can conjure up a picture of how much they’ll enjoy what you’re giving away. Or, go to the donation place. Meet the group you’re donating to.

Letting go is about knowing your favorites, your priorities in life, your treasures …..and keeping them.

It’s about moving on, keeping the best of the past and bringing it with you into your next chapter.  Hopefully some of these questions will help you with that.

Tags: choices, declutter, downsize, get rid of, let go, simplifying

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 12:52 pm and is filed under Downsizing Dilemmas- Solved, Harmony at Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.