The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past.

Wouldn't it be lovely if I could report that I've found my book on this book club Monday? Lovely, indeed. Apparently I, unlike Tracy, need to call in a search party. Or just order up a new one. That sounds less painful. Happily(?), I've read enough of the book to get started and can report that, at long last, I'm knee deep in decluttering. My thoughts so far:

1. This is going to take awhile. Which is mildly depressing. Kondo warned me of this, but ever the optimist, I was sure I'd defy all odds and knock it out in a weekend. No one's ever accused me of being a realist. Looks like I'm in this for the long haul.
2. I have a lot of clothes that I never wear. Some of which make me question if I know myself at all. Who bought this hideous blouse? Oh yeah, I did. This is why when my husband pronounced me hard to shop for, I couldn't argue. I can barely shop for myself. Looking at my kids' piles, I can safely say it runs in the family.
3. Being the decision-challenged girl that I am, I needed something a little more definitive than Kondo's "does it spark joy" test when approaching my clothing. So I'm asking these two questions I found in January's Real Simple: A) Does it serve you? As in do you feel good wearing it and do you get compliments? Or are you tugging at yourself uncomfortably? B) How would you feel if you were wearing it and ran into your ex? This one's my favorite. I'd add your ex's mom. I may or may not have run into an ex-boyfriend's mom once in my ugliest sweats, no makeup, and hair in need of a good wash. Granted, my twins were babies, had been sick for days, and cabin fever clouded my judgement, prompting me to venture into public places looking as bedraggled as I felt. Pretty sure she didn't even make it out to her car before calling her son to assure him that while I may have broken his heart, he'd come out the winner. "Dodged a bullet" no doubt escaped her lips.
4. Here's a thought: perhaps I should apply these same tests before buying clothes. I suppose this is the point of Kondo's method.

Okay, I've stalled long enough; time to get back to work. Before I do, here's a little something in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. James Taylor posted this video saying it is one of the best covers of his song Shed a Little Light he's ever heard. Enjoy!

Posted by Rachel