Relative Joy

Marie Kondo has become a household name lately. She’s a tidying expert and consultant who began her business in Tokyo when she was only 19 years old. She is the author of the New York Times best-selling book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”. Netflix launched a TV series last January 01, 2019 entitled “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo”.

I enjoyed the Netflix series more than her book. Unlike other TV shows or series on “make overs”, Kondo encourages her followers/audience to be responsible for the cleaning process in their homes. And I tell you, it’s not a quick fix. The house doesn’t get torn down and voila you have a more modern home in your midst within the week. You don’t get extra help here except from probably your partner. And that’s what makes the show (and the book) so different. You don’t let someone come and remodel your home. I didn’t realize that all those books, papers, clothes, food stuff, and other miscellaneous items were actually CLUTTER in my home.

The take home message was basically “keeping only the things that spark joy“. At first I thought it was weird that you’d meditate across your home, feel the ambiance and begin to see what needs to get tidied up. Or that I’d be thanking inanimate objects before parting with them.

The KonMari philosophy on organizing your home is akin to organizing one’s life.

First, it doesn’t tell you to change things in one swoop. As a matter of fact, you’ll need to mentally and physically prepare for this challenge.

Second, you’ll probably learn to appreciate more when you’ve completed the whole process of de-cluttering whatever is scattered in your home. I remember when I was clearing up my work room, I kept asking myself how I accumulated so many receipts and didn’t even bother to throw them away? Seriously, some of them dated all the way back to 2007!! After the clearing operations, it ended with three XXXL trash bags to shred!

Finally, when you get to the end of the task, you end up appreciating the whole process of organizing and downsizing. Those that did not spark joy, I let go freely and easily – to the shredder!!! Those that were memorable and had sentimental value, I placed aside in a nice box. I would rearrange them one of these days. You really don’t know what you’ll unearth in all that “trash”. And you’ll end up being more aware of all what you hoard.

So yeah. I’m joining the bandwagon of the clutter-free world. Who would have imagined that tidying up would give us back so much joy in our lives? The whole process has made me embrace Kondo’s philosophy. The following day, when I saw all those bank statements and statements of account from BPI, I told my help “ayan na naman yan. Sila ang talagang dapat turuan magtipid sa papel!” (There they are again. They should be taught how to save on paper!)

I’m a fan. And literally decluttering our lives, from the daily grind to the daily angst, is liberating.

If I can tidy up my house and make it feel more a home, then I can learn to declutter my life.

It’s a wonderful feeling.