#physical decluttering

i've always been a reader, but since i was a child my accumulation of books have grown on my shelf. also i valued the books that i read, a large majority of my books were things that i had read once, and did not value enough to read again. in fact, seeing my bookshelves i would feel guilty at the fact that i was not rereading all of my own books over and over again. and for the books that i had not yet read, i felt guilty that i had not gotten to them yet.

so, over the past few years, i got rid of most of my books. a few select books that i enjoyed more than others, i gave them one last read before donating. i placed them in various little free libraries around town.

what i kept: books that i loved dearly and read over and over, class materials and textbooks, and books that i haven't read yet. the latter i put in a to-read pile that i made my priority reads, and as i read them i found myself getting rid of those books as well.

as my personal library has dwindled, i've been happier. i know that the books i own are ones that i truly love, and now my library represents me as a reader, not me as a person librarian.

now, i find myself utilizing my library card more often. i get the pleasure of a clean home and still get to read the material that i want.