The Curse of Things

Each day, summer ticks forward and I can feel the school year creeping upon me.  I had my first dream about school two whole weeks ago and found myself standing in my classroom facing an unfinished room and panicked about what I would teach.  The unfinished room part is currently a reality, but it won't be for long.  I moved classrooms this summer and in the process, I have purged (and will continue to purge) so many things that I have held in my room for years.  This purging has carried over to my house and I now find myself looking at cabinets that actually have space and shelves that are not completely full because I have begun a great purge.

Just moments before this picture, these shelves were completely full!  That was a lot of throwing away.

I find that as I look at these things, I am struck by how much clutter I have - it is all clutter that I originally thought was most definitely a necessity.  So, I have begun to question what it is that I need?  What do I need to fill my shelves and my house and even my heart?  My first answers come quickly and obviously:  my faith in God, my family, my friends.  Yet, I am part of the American "want society."  I shop Amazon Prime Days and was there when the dogs of Amazon prime popped up immediately because consumer American had shut down the site.  I considered Build A Bear build your age day (but fortunately we were already booked that day).  For me, it seems that that there is always a desire for more - of whatever is being marketed. 

I want to work on this within myself, so I am reaching out....what tricks do you have for managing the "stuff" and for minimizing when there is just too much?!  I would love to hear ideas, and perhaps even try (and chronicle) some of them too!