Moving Past the Past

Holding onto possessions from the past, we can often find ourselves clinging to times and places that are not relevant to today. We find we have one foot, or both, in the past, and we find it challenging to move beyond where we were, especially when we have many possessions that remind us of a specific time and place, and if those memories are emotionally challenging to us. These are the things that are the hardest to let go of and to move beyond.
Working with an organizer, an impartial guide who has no attachment to your things, can guide and assist you in making decisions and helping you let go of what you don’t need. For many of us we have left things as they were and we didn’t either want to deal with these things or were afraid or uncomfortable making decisions about them. You may be holding furnishings, clothes and keepsakes from deceased relatives that you think you have to keep or else garner the ire of family members who would question discarding Aunt Sophie’s 15 handmade quilts. What if you kept your favorite, photographed the others and then donated them to either other family members or to a women’s shelter? Options exist and it’s only through our own indecision that keeps us from freeing ourselves from what was, moving ahead and reclaiming our space for what we want and need. How can we do our long neglected art projects if we have no space in which to do them? This self denial affects our well being and keeps us from stepping into a life we desire.
The past has its place. It exists as a touchstone of what has transpired, what we have experienced, holding the memories of those we loved and the events that have shaped our lives. The past exists for us to revisit and to share in what we knew and from where we came. The past becomes problematic when we dwell there, when we live there with regret, anger and sorrow at what happened or could/should have happened. One thing for sure, the past is done and we can’t go back no matter how hard we try.
Holding onto things from a bygone era can serve or deplete us energetically. We can have our homes filled with things that we don’t need or even want and they act as a reminder of a painful or difficult time that drains us of being fully here now. i have worked with many clients who revisit memories by going through old photographs and relative’s belongings and the challenges it presents them when facing this stuff. Some would rather leave the room and do anything else than sort these things. Through my gentle insistence and persistence, I keep them on track and they make decisions that release what they can and keep what they want. This process frees them to live in the here and now.
As we move out of the past by eliminating what no longer holds value or importance, we gain a clearer idea of what we want and make new choices to implement in our current lives. We also make space for something new, whether that be a new hobby, project, relationship, job or item for the home or office. We move past where we were and get two feet into where we are now. And that feels great. Call Creative Space Organizing today and free yourself from the bonds of the past and live now! 510.501.1213