#caucasia

Mount Kazbegi, as viewed from the town of Stepantsminda, Georgia

I just finished reading The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. I think sometimes it's hard for professionals who have a niche job to jump the gap into writing a book to help people who may never be able to afford their services. Hiring a professional organizer is "rich people stuff" to me and so reading Marie Kondo's book is the closest I can ever come to grasping her concept. With this in mind, the only people who are going to hire her are going to have a lot of money and be highly motivated to reorganize their home. Not that she couldn't do it, but I doubt Ms Kondo has run into a classic hoarder situation because most hoarders fall into two categories of either not thinking they have a problem or being so ashamed that they don't know how to ask for help.

Why do I bring this up? Because I have struggled with hoarder tendencies my whole life related to unstable living situations in my childhood. I have tried different methods of cleaning and organizing, with varying levels of success. I even skimmed this book a few years ago without fully paying attention because a friend of mine didn't like it.

The first 3/4 of the book felt like being scolded because it seemed like it was all about getting rid of things and eliminating your possessions. I can admit this is an emotional reaction based on my relationship to physical objects. It reminded me of bare minimalism — sounds like nothing will be left in the home.

However, the last 1/4 of the book put it in perspective because it was all about curating your home and only keeping items that you like. Surround yourself with things that make you happy. It's true because earlier in the book when Ms Kondo describes the process of sifting through everything you own, she emphasizes that you should keep things that make you happy (or spark joy) and get rid of things that you don't use and don't make you happy.

I also appreciate that her process includes speaking aloud and thanking the items you are getting rid of for helping you when you needed it, teaching you that you didn't need it, or any other number of ways you can release an object in a thankful manner. I'm someone who bonds easily with inanimate objects, that's one reason why throwing things away has always been difficult, because I think they have feelings. So reframing getting rid of items as "thank you for [serving your purpose]" could be very helpful when I try to tackle clutter.

I rate this book 3½ out of 5 sparks of joy: ✨️✨️✨️½

Лезгинское село Гдым, Ахтынский район.