Toss or Keep?

 Can you guess what today's topic is based on the title? It's something we should do constantly. It's something we should be doing in our rooms and physical spaces in particular. Have you guessed it yet? It's decluttering! To declutter means to remove unnecessary items from a room or area. Decluttering is something I'm constantly working on and something you probably are too! With being on my summer break currently, I have had more time to declutter spaces at home and I already see the difference 😊. Now, let me take you back a  minute to the middle of May/beginning of June when I decided to declutter the file cabinet in my classroom. I started by doing small sections at a time here and there after school. I had to decide what to toss and what to keep. I would get rid of papers I wasn't using or had multiple copies of and would only keep one of the copies. The papers I decided to keep were helpful, but the ones I tossed were not useful or outdated. By decluttering some at a time, progress was made and it now only has 2 full drawers as opposed to 4 full drawers. A big win for sure 💖!! I also went through some containers behind my desk and decluttered those as well. Some items I gave away to students or adults and others I kept or tossed it altogether. Decluttering is not glamorous for sure, but it does pay off! At home, I have been decluttering spaces (top of dresser drawers, boxes, bins to name a few). Some things I threw away and other things I kept. I found old journals that I read through- God has brought me a long way and carried me through so many different situations!! I thank Him!! Some things I found were useful, but had been hidden at the bottom of a box or bin, so I forgot about it. I know have those items in a spot where I can easily see it. I found old school report cards and awards of my brother and I. They were bittersweet, but also made me smile. I found church notes that Momma had. I found pictures and memorabilia from other family members that Momma kept. What a person keeps shows a lot about what a person values and cherishes. What we hold on to shows what's important to us. You know what I found was important to Momma? Loving God, family and church family 😊. When I tell you Momma saved everything when we were children and kept church bulletins dating back a long time, she kept it all! My Daddy loved his books, magazines, and pictures. My Dad was the man behind the photographs, so it's absolutely wonderful to see when he is in the pictures 😊.  What they both cherished was family and not letting those memories fade. They were proud parents, spouses, an Aunt and Uncle, cousin, brother, sister, and friends! I can truly say that I'm a proud daughter 💚!! In all the decluttering I do, I have to decide if I'm going to toss something or keep it. If I keep it, I have to decide if I'm going to use it for myself or give it away to someone else. In life, we have to constantly evaluate and take inventory of who and what is in our lives. We need to check our social media and delete or unfollow any accounts not helping us. We need to declutter our hearts and minds of anything that will keep us from moving forward and believing the best for our lives. In asking myself what to toss or keep, I usually ask myself these questions: Is it a need or want? Will I be using it? Is it helpful? Have I wore it lately? (that's in regards to clothes 😉) Will it benefit my future self? Ecclesiastes 3:6 says, "There is a time to keep and a time to throw away." I didn't keep the report cards and church notes, but I read over them and smiled. The memories are cherished in my heart. That's okay because everything is not meant to be held on to in physical form. Some things are, but not everything and that's where knowing what to toss and keep plays a key role. Decluttering my physical spaces does feel good!! Things feel lighter and look better. I encourage you to begin or keep decluttering physical spaces section by section- it does pay off! We also have to keep decluttering our heart and mind of things that are not helping us. We have to decide what we are going to hold on to and what we're going to let go of. Remember, what we hold on on to takes up space. Let's make sure it's the right use of our space. We have to let go of pride, perfection, and negativity. Instead, let's hold on to peace, progress, and what's necessary to our growth 💚. Let's keep decluttering- we'll feel much better! Love and blessings to all 😊!!