I’ve held onto things for ages, the thing and the memory stay with me for a long time.  While my short-term memory suffers a bit these days (age and stress), my long-term memory is like a steel trap.  The subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between a real and imagined experience so the memory of an event, recent or far, pleasant or traumatizing, is just as real as the initial experience.  Every time we think of an event or re-hash it or think of what we could have done differently, we are re-living the event.  When we choose to hold onto things it’s the same as experiencing the memory of that moment again.  What things are we holding onto that we can let go of? 

The same can be said about the emotional weight.  If we don’t have a clear relationship with our thoughts and actively choose our thoughts, it’s easy for those thoughts to sweep us away.  We can be present at work and suddenly find ourselves regretting a fight from 15 years ago.  We know the physical accumulation of things creates clutter, but what about the mental?  If we are dealing with things long past, that creates clutter in the mind just as much as physical clutter around us.  The more we start and don’t finish, the more weight we have to carry.  That includes projects, deep dives into who we are, resolving any issues we’ve had.  It isn’t just about decluttering, it’s about releasing the attachment that comes with it.  We have a tendency to spread ourselves so thin with attachments to things and people over the years that there isn’t enough left of us to determine who we are.

I’m not saying do away with sentiment, I’m saying choose sentiment carefully.  Choose commitments carefully. Choose thoughts carefully.  All of those things become part of who we are whether we like it or not.  Don’t allow the clutter to accumulate to the point we can no longer carry it.  More importantly, remember to choose what we want to carry in the first place.  It isn’t entirely about comfort or aesthetic—it’s about function.  It’s easier to function on a clear path and to see the next steps than it is on a crowded, dark path.  Simply, it also feels better to navigate a clear path.  Take the time to clear the way.  The work may not be fun, but it is worth it.