I’ve broken my Keep The Stories project to a two part challenge. The first step is to capture the moments so you can tackle the second part and reduce the “stuff”. It’s a simple idea but not always as simple in practice.
Part 1: Capture the Moments
Find ways to capture the stories of your life – from the everyday routine to the once-in-a-lifetime moments. Express your stories in ways that work for you. Use the same approach or mix it up as the mood strikes you. Use one style or many, in sequence or in combination. Keep your creation private or share it with the world in print or online.
- Shoot a photograph
- Scrapbook (digital or traditional)
- Write a song, a poem, an essay – or a blog post
- Make an audio recording or a short movie
- Stitch a quilt
- Paint a picture
- Incorporate the object into a unique piece of art
How will you capture your moments?
Part 2: Reduce the Stuff
Once you have captured the story, it is time to let go of the stuff. Having a ritual might help. In my case, I’ve decided to tell the next chapter and include what happens next to finish the story. I’ve created a worksheet for telling the stories and have a section for the next step for each item. So far I’ve identified donate, reuse, recycle/freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org/ to find a location near you), trash (sometimes it is the best or only option but I use this as my last resort).
I am accepting that it isn’t necessary to keep the things we associate with memories and finally getting rid of the stuff, though there is a still a way to go.
Take the challenge to keep the stories and lose the stuff. Reduce the clutter, reorganize and change the way you think about the things. Recycle, repurpose or donate.
Do you have rituals that help you let things go? Share in the comments.