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High Heels and Struggles
By karen | April 29, 2007
I used to have a closet filled with beautiful clothes. I don’t anymore. I gave the majority of my beautiful clothes away. I gave them away to the local thrift store. My hope is that someone else is happily wearing the beautiful clothes that used to be mine. Giving away my clothes was one of the most liberating and joyful things I have ever done.
Of course, I’m like most women. I love pretty clothes. I love shoes. I love business suits. I love dresses. That’s just part of being a girl isn’t it? So why would it make me happy to give away a closet full of beautiful clothes?
Well the most practical reason would have to be that I really didn’t wear them much anymore. My life has changed for the better. I now wear sweatshirts, workout clothes all day long, tank tops, shorts and jeans. I rarely have the opportunity to wear a business suit or a pretty dress anymore. And that makes me happy. My kids and my husband love me to wear comfy clothes that I can play in at a moments notice. I love it too.
But even though I am probably more practical than I want to believe,
I don’t particularly like to think of myself as someone who only does things because it is the practical thing to do.
So here is the real reason I gave away my clothes, the liberating and joyful reason that I loved giving away my beautiful clothes. It was the energy they held. Yes, the stuff we accumulate carries energies from different times and different places.
When I looked at those beautiful clothes in my closet I was transported to another time. I saw a young woman, dressed for success, driving the nice car, going on appointments, putting on the perfect presentations. I then saw this same young woman, dressed in the same outfit, standing in the bookstores feeling lost, feeling empty and searching out books with titles like “What Color is Your Parachute?” or the latest offering on “Finding your Passion”. I saw this young woman, newly married to the Love of her Life, crying her eyes out in her closet (a different closet but a closet just the same) for days at a time because she was so disconnected from her own soul and who she truly was. I saw a young woman who knew she was on the wrong path but didn’t know which path to take. I saw a depressed young woman who wasn’t enjoying her life because it was such a struggle.
I saw this young woman “juggling, struggling, closing big deals, dancing backwards in high heels” (Thank you, Kenny Chesney for the perfect words).
So for me, those clothes were no longer beautiful. The energy they carried for me was painful, disconnected, disquieting. I didn’t want that in my closet. I only wanted happy energy in my closet.
So I took a day and I got rid of most of my clothes. I used the rule of the professional organizers; if I didn’t love it and I didn’t wear it I got rid of it.
I only kept the clothes that I absolutely loved. I only kept the clothes that had good energy and made me feel happy on some level.
Now I love my closet.
Now it’s all good!
Oh, and by the way, the unhappy young woman I spoke of was lucky. She is beyond grateful that she finally found her way. She now has a happy, joyful and blessed life.
But she has hardly any beautiful clothes in her closet.
Related posts:
Showing up for Success
Follow your own Heart
Career Counseling
Going with the Flow
The Story of the Perfect Day
Life and Contrast
The Path
Passion
No Matter What
Follow Your Bliss
Take Your Passion and Make it Happen
__________________________
This article has been included in the Blog Carnival: Observations on Life May 6, 2007 located at Anja Merret.com
The Living By Design blog Carnival has included this post in it No. 5 edition from May 13,2007. You can see the carnival at Living by Design.
The Organize Your Life/Carnival Edition #8 has included this post. You can see the carnival at declutter it
This post has been included in the Carnival of Life, Happiness & Meaning #6 located at Life Insurance Lowdown.
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Topics: Personal Development, Living the Power, Reflections, Real Life |
April 29th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Oh. My. goodness. Do I totally need to do this. I have so many clothes in my closet that I pretend that I’ll wear when I’m skinnier again…. but really, they don’t reflect my life anymore. So even when I’m skinnier again (and I’m only 10 pounds away now!) I will probably go through them and wonder what the heck I was thinking anyway.
Heck… I need to do this with my entire house. But I never get around to it. It sure would feel good to get it OUT…. but I have to remind myself that I choose to spend the daytime with my kids and by the time night is here all I really want to do is sit on my rear and veg with a book, the computer or the TV. So I guess my closets will stay packed full of stuff I don’t use anymore for a bit longer… my kids are only young once! Right? RIGHT!
Hehe…. thanks for letting me talk this out to myself!
-Renee
WEAR the Law of Attraction
http://www.manifes-t.com
April 29th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Yes, Renee
Kids come first, always! Kids grow up fast, I know since I have a grown up kid, a teenage kid and 3 little kids!
If the energy from the extra clothes isn’t bothering you then clean your closets when you get the chance.
If it is cathartic to clean your closets then clean your closets!
I have to admit I do have some clothes that don’t fit (but no bad feelings there!) 2 babies in 2 years after age 40 but I am thin again! I am! I am!
Thanks for stopping by Renee!
April 29th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
I love the way you shared this, you have a way of sharing not only the substance of what happened, but the mood itself that makes other people feel so much better.
April 29th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Thank you! your expression of appreciation means so much to me! Thanks for stopping by!
April 29th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Beautiful sentiment and practical; nicely written. It’s so true that memories get trapped in things and can really help or hinder us. Thank you for the hopeful message that we can change things and don’t have to be trapped by our stuff.
April 29th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Thank you Swan!
I love that you come by and comment often. I am very appreciative!
April 30th, 2007 at 7:37 am
My mom laughs at me whenever I talk about purging things or simplifying my life at home. She tells me that process has been around for centuries and the old folks called it… spring cleaning.
Anyhow, I felt pretty good purging my closet last week!
April 30th, 2007 at 8:03 am
Yes, I remember “Spring Cleaning” It always sounded fun and wonderful but ended up being an opportunity to scrub walls and woodwork and work,work, work!
But it was wonderful when it was done!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
(I like your name by the way!;)
May 6th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Karen - am so happy I found your blog, thanks to Rick Cockrum’s link.
Your heartfelt words -
“she was so disconnected from her own soul and who she truly was . . . I saw a young woman who knew she was on the wrong path but didn’t know which path to take” touched me and reminded me of my own path 11 years ago when I walked away from a 20 year career. And now my closet reflects that change as well - where it used to take 2 full closets to hold my clothes, I now only need 1/2 closet. There is wonderful freedom and energy in going “light.” Thanks for inspiring us.
May 6th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Debbie,
Sounds like you are a kindred spirit! I’m grateful for the change in my own path, sounds as if you are too!
Thanks for stopping by and for your thoughtful comment!
May 6th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
Beautiful post
May 6th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Thank you
May 8th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Hi Karen,
Great post! I totally agree… clothes and other things we accumulate all have energy. It is important to go through our stuff and get rid of things/energy that no longer feel right in our life. I am glad you found your soul path and are now living a life of joy!
May 8th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Thanks, Kirsten!
and thanks for stopping by and commenting!
July 29th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
I am sure that many of these beautiful cloths will find their place in creating happiness elsewhere. What was once a burden to you will become a blessing to others. There is a glory in recycling.
August 20th, 2007 at 10:42 am
I remember well my high heeled, business dress suit season of life. I was so happy to trade it all in for the casual wear that came with my current season of being a mom.
My seasons are starting to change yet again and I’m okay with that too….great post!
Hugs,
Holly
August 20th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Thanks Holly,
Yes, things change but I now want the changes to continue to enhance my life and get better!
I’m blessed that I’m still in the “mommy” stage even though I’m straddled with the “grandma” stage at the same time!! Whew, I am blessed!
June 17th, 2008 at 10:39 am
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