ReAnn Rothwell’s Money Saving Ideas, Tax & Organizing Tips

One of my favorite writers and declutterers is Peter Walsh of HGTV and Oprah fame. Recently, he wrote his thoughts on clutter, the holidays and the current financial situation. I thought they were pertinent enough to share them here. As you do your holiday shopping and activities this month, I hope, you will think about connectedness.

 “The holiday season is bearing down on us once again.  And, once again, come December, we’ll begin hearing economists and newscasters talking about the “health” of the American economy.  When these guys start talking health, however, they’re not talking blood pressure or cholesterol.  When they start talking about the “health” of the economy they’ll be talking how much each of is spending between now and the end of the year. Think about it – by this measure, if we’re not spending, we’re just not healthy and if we’re not spending a lot then we’re not healthy at all!

I go into homes all the time and I see the results of this kind of “healthy” activity.  I see homes over-run with clutter and lives overwhelmed with too much stuff.  For me, the message is clear – clutter has a negative, and often devastating, impact on all areas of our lives: social, physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual and financial.  The need to declutter and organize our homes and our lives is critical for each of us to live our best lives.  It’s especially important now, when many people are in dire financial straits, downsizing and trying to live with less not because they want to but because they absolutely have to.  But like it or not, this is true for us all.  Each of us needs to make changes because we simply can’t sustain, financially, the way we have been living.

Individually and as a country we’ve hit the financial wall. We must all make changes, but can they be changes that are positive for you and your family?  Somehow many of us have lost our way. Whereas our life pursuit should be connectedness – with our selves, our families and friends and our lives – the goal has been consumption.  Chasing more and never asking “When is more enough?”  We often define ourselves by what we own, rather than by whom we are and it’s only through mindful living – and truly mindful consumption – that we can live richer and fulfilled lives.

What better time than moving into the holiday season to stop and reflect on our lives.  We need to adopt a new mindset about consuming less, living with less and being happy with less.  A mindset that embraces that idea with happiness can come when we are not constantly chasing ‘more’. I believe that we now need to reframe our thinking away from the pursuit of what we don’t have (especially in these tough times) to joy and pleasure in what we do have: family, friends, love, support, someone to hold and someone who values us not for what we have but for who we are.

There is never a crisis without a great opportunity for learning and change and growth.  We’re in a time of great crisis.  What will we learn from it?”