Super Size Me

By: Claire Keeling
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:41:52
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There’s an old adage that says: The man who dies with the most toys, wins. Lori and I think that’s a bunch of bologna. The man who dies with the most toys, ends up leaving his family overwhelmed and frustrated that they have to deal with all of his stuff after he’s dead and gone. Not quite the legacy he had planned….

How many of us have heard the question while in line at a fast food restaurant, “Would you like to super-size your order? “ We’ve convinced ourselves that more has just got to be better, so we are super-sizing everything. Bigger houses, more clothes, more toys, bigger cars; we just can’t get enough. People associate the acquisition of more stuff as a sign of success and happiness. Currently, 65% of Americans are overweight and 30% of Americans are obese. Even portion sizes have even increased over the years. More food is not healthier for your body, we know.

Peter Walsh, a professional organizer on The Learning Channel’s show “Clean Sweep” gave a talk at the San Francisco chapter of professional organizers in 2005 and had some valuable information to share. He went over the four signs of change, which are fear, frustration, unwillingness to move, and resistance. Do any of those characteristics sound familiar to you when it comes to making a change of any kind? Whether it’s big or small, mental or physical, we all seem to resist change to some degree. But, to simplify our lives and regain control, we have to shift our thinking to knowing when enough is enough, and we probably have to make some mental changes.

Walsh also mentioned in his speech that usually our clutter is not about the actual “stuff”, it’s more about the memories that the stuff holds and the fear that getting rid of the stuff represents. Lori and I have found that true in our business. We have found clients hanging onto items like record albums, even though they usually didn’t own a turntable anymore, and had no way of playing the records. Some of those clients even had their favorite albums on CD’s, but just couldn’t part with the feelings that each album symbolized, so a big part of their space was taken up with old records that accumulated dust and made more clutter. If we surround ourselves with things that used to bring us joy, there’s no room for anything that currently makes us feel happy and peaceful.

Who decides when enough is enough? We have even gotten into the habit of defining ourselves by our things. For example people call themselves “collectors” or “scrapbookers” and define themselves by the stuff that they surround themselves with. We’ve had many clients that scrapbook or stamp for a hobby. The products they use are attractive, easy to use, and affordable (in small quantities). These products are also easy to accumulate in large quantities over a short period of time. What began as a hobby often turns into more like a collection of scrapbooking supplies or stamping supplies. Where do we draw the line? When is it enough?

What if we shifted the super-size paradigm? What if we spent our time, money and energy on super-sizing our relationships and our feelings about ourselves. What if we put our more is better values into religion, meditation, and exercise? It’s never too late to make a change in your thinking and habits. Surrounding yourself with items that you truly love and cherish feels good. Making choices about what you allow into your space puts you back into control. So, next time you’re asked if you want more with your order, maybe you can decide that finally, you’ve got enough. 2006 All Rights Reserved.

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