The Line Between Cozy and Crowded.

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Sometimes the most comforting thing you can do is let go of what used to comfort you. ~unknown.

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I've come to realize that clutter isn't always just about load or the clothes in our closet. It could be habits, people, routines that used to serve us but quietly stopped doing so. And because these things once mattered, we keep them. Because getting rid of them may feel like you're betraying a part of you that once needed them.

Most clutter doesn't start off as junk. It starts as something that mattered. Maybe a jacket that used to make you feel like yourself, a book you bought when you were going through a phase or even a friendship you kept showing up for because it used to be good, even when it stopped being good.

Comfort becomes clutter when we keep things for the memory, not the moment. Many people, myself included, hold onto certain aspects of our lives merely because of the memories. But we forget that we can love these memories and at the same time let go of these objects. Our memories live within us, not in the object. But we confuse the two constantly, and our shelves fill up with evidence of who we used to be.

Comfort becomes clutter when it begins to feel like a chore or an obligation. When something that was supposed to make life softer now adds to your mental stress and makes you feel slightly bad for neglecting it, it has stopped being comfortable and crossed over to clutter. This is also the case when we choose to avoid these things that we couldn't resist at some point in our lives, because it's easier to avoid them than face them.

When we begin to justify it instead of enjoying it, comfort becomes clutter. We say things like "I may need this someday" Or "it was really expensive, so I should keep it". These are defenses and when we start defending things instead of enjoying them, we need to give said things a second thought. This is because comfort doesn't need a case made for it and the moment you have to argue yourself into keeping something, it's already clutter.

A simple exercise I use to figure out if something has moved from being a comfort to clutter is questioning myself. I ask myself if these things truly belong to my present? Or are they just there because they are familiar? Am I keeping these things because I genuinely want to or because letting go feels like a loss?

This simple exercise helps to keep my mind in check. And the amazing part is that whenever I eventually get around letting go of these things or aspects of my life that have run their course, I'm left with the real things that actually matter.

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^{This post was written in response to option one of the #kiss blog idea for this week which can be found here.
Images used belong to me and were taken with my mobile device, except stated otherwise.}

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