The Power of 1 (hour)

Every time I look at my dinning room table cluttered like this, I promise it will be the last time.What you don’t understand or have seen is the amount of clutter I accumulated for 11 years of life in the U.S.

I was a professional clutter organizer when living in Brasil. I’ve always enjoyed writing and receiving letters and to my surprise when I went back home after 5 years living abroad, hundreds of letter were organized by date of arrival. I was a serious clutter keeper! The sad thing was that none of those folks kept in touch through the years. Why should I hold on to empty words from invisible people? It felt good to throw boxes of letters away, it made my mother’s day. I cleaned out a huge closet full of papers that no longer matter to our family. The challenge is to do the same at my house where there is way more emotional attachment to things. The Italian 101 course I printed out of the internet was trashed. I haven’t read the Italian book I bought ages ago or even opened the accompanying dictionary. I still want to learn Italian one day, the challenge is to do it in a clean and organized environment.

While in college, there were plenty reasons to give and receive awards. Being an All American Scholar no longer matters to me because my infant son doesn’t care about grade point averages, he spells love this way: TIME. I can give him quality time in an uncluttered environment. Trash can, here are Dean’s List certificates, Who’s Who certificate and other papers that no longer matter to a woman who already has degrees.

I feel better. I can’t tell you why I held on to so much for years. It’s harder to drag boxes of clutter from residence to residence than to keep the happy memories they once brought.

Today I took 1 hour to declutter from physical things that can’t give long lasting happiness. I challenge you to take 1 hour to get rid of clutter and find more time to …

1. Spend with family
2. do other things such as read a book
3. leave the closet doors open without shame
4. occupy your mind with other things other than ‘I really need to clean up’
5. _____________________ (add your own reasons here)

^"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back." Philippians 3:12-14 (The Message)

*The Power of 1 (hour) is a new Series featured weekly here at Simply Cintia. Check back next week as we continue to talk about how much power there is in taking 1 hour to do something for yourself.