Divest Yourself.

Get rid of the clutter, the stuff you don't need. The things (things, always things...) that overwhelm and stress. The things to which you cling. Just get rid of it.

I hear words like this often. Yet they seem to counter what we see every day. In a world of more, more, more, how do you realize less is more?

Today we had a yard sale. Over the past few weeks, we've been pilfering our household, slipping out items we don't need/wear/use any longer. Some of mine were clothes from long ago... not so long ago. But a whole other person ago.

I used to buy things I couldn't afford to impress people I didn't really like. I mean, I guess I liked them well enough. And I liked the clothes I bought. I like clothes that are aesthetically pleasing. But I didn't have my head on straight at the time, bought a ton of clothes outside my income bracket, and ended up realizing well after the fact it was one of the gravest choices I have ever made.

A few years later, I think I'm a different person. I don't really go shopping to kill time (isn't it weird, using money to buy something resembling happiness?), and while I like having nice clothes, it isn't paramount. In fact, when I think about things I like and things that are impressive about me, now, my outfits don't cross my mind *that* often. Clothes are fun. They're a great medium for self expression. But they're not the end-all-be-all. Ultimately, they cover your body; nice ones just make the process slightly more pleasurable.

So I decided it was time to get rid of lots of those clothes from that time in my life. It wasn't intentional. But as the customers of our yard sale kept coming up and making sure I had marked the prices right because they thought they were too cheap, I laughed to myself. They're just clothes. I don't value them highly anymore, otherwise I'd be keeping them. So why not sell them for a radically low price? They aren't doing me any good, and sometimes feel tainted with poor financial decisions. I'm not that girl anymore... on some level, they aren't my clothes.

I urge you... rethink needs and wants. I feel lighter today. A relief that those things are leaving me for good, mentally and physically.