Try Downsizing Your Life?

By Arian Sarris

Possessions own us. Some make our lives easier, while others are like obligations that we drag around forever—especially, these days, if you have to move because you can't afford it, you've lost a job, or perhaps your parents need to move into assisted living.

The solution, obviously, is to downsize, to let go of "stuff." At the least, it is a very stressful chore; imagine how much harder it is to do when you know you are going into a much smaller home. Moreover, downsizing has very little to do with "stuff"; it has to do with the emotional "connection" to that stuff. Why did you buy it in the first place? What does it mean to you? Those kinds of issues are what make letting go very difficult—because it's not the stuff, but the emotions behind it.

Instead of its being a burden, consider downsizing as spiritual cleansing, a way to help your spiritual realignment by learning to make conscious choices about what you want to keep, and what no longer works for you (e.g., getting rid of multiples of things). In other words, it's a great opportunity to get rid of whatever doesn't feed your spirit by finding out what you no longer "need," why you are holding on to it, and how it can be released.

Every time you let go of something, you are not letting go of just the physical object; you are letting go of the emotions—and the associated obligations as well—whether it is to family heirlooms, furniture, the trappings of the job you no longer have (retirement or laid off). By confronting the emotional reasons for holding on to these possessions, you are more likely to be willing to release them, and find space for yourself—and get yourself unstuck from your past.

That's where I come in. I can gently help you deal with the feelings attached to all those possessions–so you can let go of the ones that you no longer need (by passing them on to your children, donating some, selling others), and retain those items that are most important to you now—and still keep your memories. Most importantly, we can work to make sure that what you keep is aligned with who you really are and supports your spiritual growth.

A client's house was filled with books, floor-to-ceiling on EVERY wall of her house (easily 10,000 books). When she had to move, we worked on her cleaning out the books. She reduced them to less than one roomful. To her surprise (and delight), she also found herself 75 pounds lighter (she had been 100 pounds overweight).

That's an example of what happens when you get rid of unneeded possessions: you feel lighter, freer, and open to new possibilities in your life.

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