My husband and I decided we aren't getting each other anything for Christmas. We have most everything we need. In fact, I was looking around my house the other day and I thought, I need to get rid of some stuff. I looked at my overflowing bookshelves and decided that might be the best place to start de-cluttering. Some of the bookshelves in my office are double-booked - books are stacked two deep. So I started with my office. I pulled all the books off one shelf and then went through them one by one to decide which ones to keep and which ones to throw away. I looked over each one and sometimes I would open one to a favourite passage and start reading. Needless to say the job wasn't quick. And when I was done the first shelf, I had put almost all of the books back and only thrown out two or about 5%. This was not decluttering. But I couldn't throw so many of them away because they had enlightened me, entertained me, made me grow, made me change. The had done the job they were written for - that's how they ended up on my shelf in the first place. The books that didn't make the cut were thrown away or given away long before. I saw each of the books as a friend that taught me something valuable and in the back of my mind was the idea that I might want to revisit this friend again. I do re-read a lot of my books. That's why I keep them. Or I lend them out so I can share the gift. After Christmas I'm going to give the bookshelves another go. I might have to get my husband to help me. I'm sure he can be a bit more ruthless than I can. I just hope I can let go when the time comes.
Posts
I have been decluttering and boy does it feel good. I have been taking my books to nursing homes and to see the joy on the residents' faces makes me wish I had decluttered sooner. They are SO thankful for them and each book will get more use and provide more enjoyment rather than sitting on my shelf and collecting dust. LOL!
ReplyDeleteGetting rid of stuff and simplifying feels so good. I'm ready to do more now.
Great post!
Cheryl
I'm not the only one??? My husband does NOT understand my love of books, and get rid of them is like pulling a tooth without novacaine! OUCH! Needless to say, I haven't gotten rid of many---just find a more creative way or storing them!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's great to declutter! Since our last move, we really decided what is important to keep.....we are almost empty nesters (in 5 months!) so we decided to look at all the stuff we really didn't want to move. It's great!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes can force myself to send books to a friend who loves to read but really can't afford to buy books. I feel that if I can do that I can let go of some of them.
ReplyDeleteI don't like to get rid of my books, but I throw away a lot of other junk, it usually goes to my daughter's house
ReplyDeletemamat2730(at)charter(dot)net
I have a book shelf of "treasured books" which I read and reread. However, other books I give to the local library which is very small. They welcome my donations to their collection and I figure, I can always check them out from the library. However, there are some books that I will not part with--like the first book my young son brought me at a neighborhood garage sale. It's the Moonspinners by Mary Stewart. We had watched the movie with Hayley Mills together and he'd remembered!
ReplyDelete