The Greatest Gift to Give Yourself This Year
By: Kristina H
Tags: Growth, Minimalism, Life, Self, Human Behavior

The Greatest Gift to Give Yourself This Year

This is not a Resolution. It’s a Revelation.

If you could gift yourself ONE significant offering this year, what would it be?

Some would say money, while other folks would suggest youth or health.

What if I told you that ONE gift to yourself could potentially bring you all of those and more? You would think I was some kind of crazy person, involved in a cult or multi-level marketing scheme. Right?

Wrong.

The gift that I have chosen to grant myself this year is one word:

Photo by Philipp Berndt on Unsplash

PURGE.

That’s it.

Not only will this word be my new mantra this year, and for the next years of my life, but it will be the ACTION word that will drive my day to day plans and activities. I plan to PURGE my life of all things invaluable or toxic. I will rid my life and my world of anything that I have little or no use for. It is so damn satisfying.

How can PURGING help you have a better life? How will it bring happiness, health and possibly even more money into your world? I will tell you, right after I explain the reasons behind a good PURGE:

Have you ever wanted to have a good cry, or laugh until your belly hurt and tears stung your eyes? That, my friend, is a form of purging. It helps rid your body of bottled up emotions. It cleanses you of previous thoughts and struggles. Getting it ALL out of you, through a burst of emotions is not unlike emptying a junk drawer. Over time, emotions can be stifled so tightly and so deeply, that they have no escape and become compacted inside of you, rendering you exhausted from all of the extra emotional weight. The main reason for my purging is to rid myself of excess junk- be it physical, emotional, spiritual or tangible if I don’t need it, there’s no need to hang onto it.

Photo by Luz Mendoza on Unsplash

Let’s Purge and See What Happens

Within your home or office environment, there are so many “things” around you, at any given time. These things can be labeled as “clutter”. Chances are you can live without 70% of the items that you see every single day. They are dustables and knick-knacks that surround you while you perform your daily tasks. Why do we need these things to make our homes feel complete? Yes, some of them will provoke memories in our lives, or perhaps they are gifts from people you care about. But, do you NEED them, in order to live comfortably? Why not take photos of them, and purge them, instead of tripping over them or mindlessly moving them out of your way to make more space around you? Or, better yet, take a photo and SELL them, earning yourself a little seed money. You still have the memory, just less clutter.

Most of us have clothing in our closets, along with shoes, bags and other accessories, that we will never wear in the next year. What is the point of storing it, if you don’t use it? You could rid yourself of the tightly packed closets and either sell your extra items or donate them to charity. With so many apps, like Poshmark and Marketplace (On Facebook), The Real-Real, Mercari or Varage Sale, it is beyond easy to sell clothes and turn a small profit. People sell high-end items for good prices, or low-end items for minimal fees, just to get them out of their closets.

The KEY is to not replace everything you sell thereby refilling your new empty spaces. If I sell a couple of items and make money from them, I stash the money away in an emergency jar. My suggestions would be to allow yourself ONE item to spoil yourself for a job well done. You can even do this with your children’s clothing, toys, or other items that clutter their rooms, and stash the money away for their future. Every little bit counts, and seed money will grow over time.

I have one last piece of my PURGE this year, beyond the items that “stuff” my home full of clutter. That last piece is the people who no longer have any significant value to me. I know that sounds callous and rude, but hear me out.

I have been dragging around demons and skeletons of past people who have caused me damage, my whole life. As I age, I seem to have gathered a collection of these people along the path of my years. It is time to purge myself of the pain and torment they have caused, through “forgive and forget”. (As cliche’ as that sounds).

Seriously though. There have been some humans in my past who have caused me to struggle with my self-worth, my value, and my own inner peace. I have also allowed this to happen, in order to save face with myself. It is now time to shed the hard, outer skin that they have helped me grow, in order to allow my inner layer to come out and shine. I have forgiven myself for allowing others to treat me poorly and make me a victim. Now I need to forgive their actions and know that I have no control over how they treat other people. By purging them, and not giving them breath in my home, I can feel the extra weight lift from my heart and shoulders. They have no place in my small house, or in my life, so why hang onto them?

Another kind of purging is the purge of your body “gunk”. Having a bowl or two of cleansing cabbage soup, drinking green tea and lots of water, or taking liver cleanses are very effective methods to rid yourself of toxins from over-indulging through the holidays. Exercise is also a must, by purging the extra weight you are carrying. It will also help you feel more energetic, healthy and youthful. Get moving and try and cleansing diet. You will be glad you did.

Meditation is a kind of PURGE as well. It can help to tidy up your mental health and your inner voices while encouraging your mind to cleanse itself. It is much like de-cluttering your inner space, making room for more light and peace.

Photo by Mor Shani on Unsplash

Purging is Good For the Soul

Ridding yourself of things and people who make life cluttered is so therapeutic. The revitalization is like a reset button, helping you to feel youthful and free. You will feel emotionally and physically “lighter”. You somehow have less responsibility and less burden when you purge yourself of unwanted crap.

I know that I will not be living in our small condo for much longer, as we search for a house to purchase. My mission is to de-clutter now, in order to start fresh in a new place. The thought of having extra storage space and shelves is exhilarating! The plan is to leave empty spaces, and not re-collect items that we won’t need, in order to fill the house.

My parents are in their 80’s and when I visit them now, they are continually trying to pawn their items off onto me. I honestly don’t want anything more. My Mother sits among angel statues, pottery, and a variety of dust-covered knick-knacks on her shelves, that she no longer has any use for. Not only do I not want the items when the inevitable happens, and they are no longer with us, but I also do NOT want to live in a space that is surrounded by “things” that do nothing. I feel anxious sitting among her cluttered home, and silently pray that they will purge before they are moved to a senior home. The last time I went to visit, my Father packed a box of clay figurines up for me to take home. They are still in that box in my garage. I simply don’t NEED them.

That’s what purging is all about- ridding your life of people and things, and emotions that are built up and causing clutter in your world. GET RID OF IT. If you feel anxious among the collections of crap that surround you, eliminate them. Sell them, give them away, donate them, or toss them.

Hoarding anything; emotions, objects, memorabilia, souvenirs, people, or anything else, is unhealthy. Collections are like magnetic forces. They are reasons to keep spending money and distracting yourself in order to find ONE MORE PIECE. I am guilty of having my own Wonder Woman merchandise collection. The main reason I add to it is for my daughter’s future. I honestly hope she doesn’t develop an emotional attachment to it all, and sells it to make some decent cash. People have added to my collection over the years, more so than I have added to it. I love it and all, but it takes up a lot of space, and collects so much dust.

Surround yourself only with things and people who matter. Feel comfortable when you breathe, knowing that you have space and peace to do so. Rid your world of anything that doesn’t help build your value. Clean the chaos from your life and you will see wonderful changes happen within your soul. Emptying your emotional closet by allowing yourself to “feel” without apology is also imperative to your purging journey.

You will be so grateful you have given yourself this gift.