Who Am I?

People often say that my story makes them feel better about their circumstances. So, hear me out and see if this makes you feel better. I have many biological kids and a few children whom we have the privilege to love, raise, and parent. I have many exotic pets, e.g., sugargliders, chinchillas, and hedgehogs. My menagerie includes a few adorable dogs, Bengalcats, chickens, and rabbits.

I love being creative; this includes knitting, crocheting, mosaic, and painting. All these wonderful hobbies create stuff and, unfortunately, some (actually many) uncompleted projects. My love for beach combing accumulates wondrous, yet copious, amounts ofstunning shells.

Having a vegetable garden and seeing things grow fills me with a sense of expectant joy for the possibilities of life. It also leads to an unexpectedly large crops of radishes and green beans within two days!

Why would anyone keep chickens in the city? This seems to be the epitome of a clucking clutter fest. Buy your eggs at the nearest grocery store for crying in a bucket. In my household, we use 50 to 60 eggs a week. I would need to keep a farm full of hens to supply us with enough eggs, but this is not why I have eight beautiful little mottled and red hens. I love to hear them cluck while I write. I go into the coop, collect a few eggs each afternoon,and chat with them while feeding them greenery from the vegetable garden. As soon as I can train my Great Dane not to chase them, they will be able to roam free, which will bring me even more joy.

When counting the cost of having the responsibility of caring for my chickens, I considered all the aspects that it entails, and for me, the benefits far outweighed the responsibility. That does not mean that owning chickens will assist other people in decluttering their individual lives!

The most significant benefit of all these activities is that my children, each in his or her own way have found a unique connection with me through these endeavours. Some even find my ridiculous pursuits a conversation piece, and we often have heated discussions about my choices.The joy that all of this brings me far outweighs the work it creates. My life and the choices I make limit me as far as my ability to take exotic trips to far-flung places. People also tend to be reluctant to invite my family for Sunday lunch. When my husband and I sit at our porch table at dusk and the smaller kids play in the garden, we often marvel at how blessed and content we are with our life. Conversations with my young adult children remind me that few things are more precious than having your people around you.

I started decluttering myself and my life the day I decided that my life need not fit anybody else's definition of being neat and tidy. I am not an advocate for ridiculously complicated lives. I believe being happy and content in your skin and life is the most significant gift you can give yourself.

Many people I know and love lead quiet, super-organized lives. They focus on a few things and do it brilliantly. Others choose to base their lives on new experiences and travel, placing them in a completely different space than those who play itsafe and limit their exposure to new situations.

For every individual, the decluttering process and the result of decluttering will be completely different. Many people find this diversity a great source of tension and stress. People often say, “tell me what to do, and I will do it.” This attitude, unfortunately, will not cut it when it comes to decluttering yourself and your world.

Decluttering is not a one-size-fits-all situation. If someone tries to tell you otherwise, try their method, and we'll talk again in a years time. Lasting change can only come from a place of personal conviction and commitment to the change you want to see. There is no other way. You can always use other people'ssuggestions and guidelines, but the change needs to be based on your root motivation.

For me, the distinction between intentional and unintentional living is whether the individual experiences joy and peace because of their choices. The outcome of what we do need not be exceptional if the impact our choices make in our own, and other people’s lives is extraordinarily positive. It is meaningful to have a positive and lasting impact on the people around you and the society you live in.I have never seen anyone contributing in a lasting way to the greater good from a place of self-criticism and self-rejection. When this is attempted, it always ends up in burnout and dejection.

I recently read a post on social media where the person commented on how superficial it is to seek happiness. He went on to discredit any pursuit of joy and happiness as frivolous. He stated that we should only endeavour to help and serve others in a dark and challenging world.This made me think about what I advocate and stand for (such occasional contemplatio noften leads to new perspectives on my true intentions). My conclusion was that one could not exist without the other. My mother often said that feeding others from an empty basket was impossible.

We have a responsibility to ourselves and others to sort out our minds and lives to the extent that it brings order and peace to our environment. Doing so creates a world where we choose our actions and responses. This does not imply that we have control over the external elements of our existence. Intentional choices and actions put us back in the driver's seat of our experience and allow us to be happy with what we have and not focus on what we don’t have. Being grateful refocuses our minds and feeds our thoughts with the potential of gratitude.

Back to decluttering. What on earth would warrant another book series on decluttering? When the focus shifts from applying other people's solutions to a problem we don’t even understand to understanding our situation and designing and implementing a tailor-made solution, I believe a lot should still be written on the subject.

What If I Don’t Have Enough? starts at the beginning. There where our greatest fear of lack or "not enough" originates. When we face the reasons for our behavior, it becomes much easier to understand why we do what we do. When you get to that point, you have a choice to be happy with your life or to change certain things to improve your quality of life. The decision is up to you. The series “Declutter Me” will eventually visit many fascinating inner landscapes and facilitate extraordinary practical changes. Join me in the pursuit ofauthenticity for yourself and your life.