All of us....We've Got to Change!

A friend sent me an amazing account of clutter in American families today. It was published in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on Sunday, October 23, 2005. In my opinion the subject is well stated by this reporter. Before I summarize my own thoughts I am going to quote some poignant passages from the article.

American Families Dwell in Clutter, Unruliness. Accumulated Stuff Symptom of Disorganized, Messy Mind-Set in Modern American Households. (Boulder, Colorado - AP)

“To many observers, clutter reflects the mind-set of the modern household - overburdened, disorganized and compulsive. To others, clutter is a broader symbol of a ravenous culture dependent on easy credit, piling up debt and consuming a lion's share of the world's resources without considering the consequences.”

" People's homes are a reflection of their lives," says Los Angeles psychologist and organizational consultant Peter Walsh. "It is no accident that people have huge weight problems in this country, and clutter is the same thing. Homes are an orgy of consumption."

“The obesity analogy isn't a joke. While personal spending drives much of the U.S. economy, the resulting clutter from all that shopping is so pervasive that some researchers wonder if it might have a deeper, biological component, similar to overeating.”

“.....Scientists have difficulty quantifying clutter. It is a private problem that most people sweep under the bed and shove behind closed doors. On cable TV, at least three reality shows are devoted to clutter management. On the Learning Channel, "Clean Sweep" employs psychologist Walsh. It has filmed more than 200 episodes unloading people's junk.

“Fifty cities in 17 states have chapters of Clutterers Anonymous, a 12-step recovery program.”

“For some, clutter results from more than rampant shopping. It suggests widespread social discontent.”

"People hold onto stuff like their kids' old clothing as a way of holding onto the past." Walsh says. "Or they keep things they think they might need someday as a way to control the future."

“Hoarding research focuses on changes to a region of the brain connected with decision-making problem-solving and anticipating rewards.”
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This is powerful stuff and something you've certainly heard me talk about a lot in my book. I think the piece that moves me the most in this article is "People's homes are a reflection of their lives," and "clutter is a broader symbol of a ravenous culture dependent on easy credit, piling up debt and consuming a lion's share of the world's resources without considering the consequences."

I think all of us daily feel the pull to consume. I know I do. I can be finished work and driving home and oops, I'm passing Marshall's. I immediately fashion the idea of pulling in to see if there's a bargain in my size. I've come to recognize this feeling as a need of immediate gratification, because I really don't need another piece of clothing. And I don't need to spend time shopping which takes time from personal relaxation. It's another form of addictive "doing." Doing that I can feel the results of immediately! I also know I don't need a lot of stuff to grow my self-esteem (oh all right! at least I'm trying not to).

Getting smarter about my own reality, I've learned to acknowledge that pull to shop and instead decide to do something else instead. Perhaps I'll go home and read another chapter in my good book, or take a walk in the leaves (if it's not raining!), or stop to see a friend. My car is now eight years old. I have never owned a car for eight years! In fact I used to have a belief that it was time to get rid of a car after two years so I didn't own something that was going to begin to give me problems.

I've had to talk fast to myself a couple of times when I passed a new model that looked stunning, but I quickly remind myself of the unbelievable piles of trashed cars I've seen in dumps nationwide, and discipline myself to not add to the pile. My car runs beautifully. It has a lot more miles in it. It's only my ego that will be satisfied by the shinny new vehicle that I can accessorize, and sport around in town. Not a good reason.

I agree with this reporter that all of our stuff accumulating is a reflection of dissatisfied Souls numbing their feelings (my words) and failing to take a path that is less gluttonous. I sit with many a friend who complains about the United State and its gluttony (we consume over half of the world's resources) and we never mention the gluttony in our own lives. We really need to get it that all these things we're complaining about exist within us and will not change until we clean up our act.

War is the same. We all cry about our sons and daughter being sent off to battle, but we're totally unable to resolve small differences within our families, our relationships, our workplaces. It's all the same. War won't go away until we manage to resolve differences in each one of our lives.

So I urge us all to sit down quietly and contemplate what our inner work is. How we can change so that we are a mirror that is much more helpful to the planet. It's really up to each one of us.

At the end of this great article was a list of tips. I'm going to leave you with the list in case it could help you declutter! And thanks for listening. I have total faith that we'll all get it together. I just hope it's soon enough to save the planet.

Cluttered Lives - Tips from personal organizers for reducing household clutter.

* Have a family meeting to decide what should go and what's off-limits.
* Be realistic. Don't do it all at once. Try one room or one closet at a time.
* Seek professional help if you fail to reorganize more than twice.
* Seek professional help and psychological counseling if your clutter prevents you from using rooms as they were intended, if broken appliances go unrepaired or if your stuff blocks normal access to halls, closets and doors.
* Be ready with boxes, trash bags and cleaning supplies. Know where you will donate unwanted possessions.
* Limit what comes inside the house. Sort unwanted mail and fliers over a trash can by the door.
* Throw out two old possessions for every new one.
* If your Star Wars action figures or baseball cards are not on display or catalogued, it's not a collection. It's junk.
* Mark pantry items with throw away dates in 3-6 months.
* Don't buy when you can rent or borrow, such as DVDs and books.
* If you haven't worn clothing in a year or it no longer fits, donate it.
* Limit childhood souvenirs to a few.
* Read my book, What Color Is Your Slipcover?
* Good luck!