It's Difficult to Maintain
Although it is possible, at a given moment in time, to have your home arranged the way you like it, with a place for everything, this condition is temporary. The serenity you experience doesn't last. Why? Because as long as you are living and breathing, changes will happen in your life.
Things Become Obsolete
You will find that something that you use has now become obsolete and must be replaced. So where do you put the obsolete item? Do you immediately give it away or throw it away? Probably not. Obsolete items tend to accumulate.
You Develop New Interests
You develop new interests. Perhaps cooking, sewing, painting, photography, astronomy (my son), cycling, one or another sport...I'm sure you could add to this list with your own new interests. But! How long do these interests last? Perhaps one or two may be permanent, but typically we find ourselves with various pieces of equipment that we no longer use. Art supplies? Baseball bats? Where do we put all these things? Closets become overstuffed and serenity is lost. (Fortunately for my son, he has a large garage that houses his large, no longer used, telescope.)
Do You Have Collections?
Whatever you collect, whether it be books, records, CDs, stamp collections, seashells, bric-a-brac...perhaps you could add to this list, too...these things need more and more space over time. What do you do when you run out of space? Do you prune these objects and give some away? It's more likely that you just stuff them in more closely, perhaps putting books horizontally above the vertical rows. But as you do this, these objects become disorganized. They are harder to find, and they detract from the serenity of a neat space.
You Guessed It!
No, you didn't. I'm not going to talk about how my Inner Guide helped me. So, why am I writing about this now? Because I am currently undergoing an extensive reorganization of my own space. Room by room, bookcase by bookcase, I am sorting out and, in some cases, simplifying, the contents of my home. This has also involved a number of new purchases. I got rid of an old, very heavy sewing machine because as I have aged, I have found that it is too heavy to lift. (It was with great effort that I managed to get it in the trunk of my car.) So (pun intended), how could I sew? I have bought a new, much lighter sewing machine.
Serenity Reclaimed
As I proceed with this process, I'm experiencing great delight as each new section of my home regains its serenity!
