Even Oprah holds on to stuff … and says it’s time to have another garage sale. [Hmmm, wondering what an Oprah yard sale might look like.]
In a recent article in O Magazine, she shares an ah-ha moment she had after an extended period of time living in a hotel room. Below is what she has come to “know for sure” about clutter and clearing:
“Thirteen years ago, I was on trial in Amarillo, Texas, for defaming a burger. Luckily, free speech won. But that was a trying time for me (they call it a trial for a reason). It wasn’t just a challenge to sit in a courtroom all day and do a show at night—it was a profoundly eye-opening experience. I learned a lot about myself. My strategy team, led by Dr. Phil McGraw, hunkered down with me in a cozy B&B, where we’d have late-night planning and pie-eating sessions. For six weeks I was away from home and all things familiar, living in my one room, which felt an awful lot like a dressed-up dorm.
“And here’s the funny part: I was so content.
“Content without a lot of possessions to distract me. Just the basics. I had the book I was actually reading—not 17 stacked on a window shelf, as I have now. I appreciated the simplicity of my surroundings. It helped me focus on what was important at the time: winning the trial.
“Now my life is filled with so much clutter.
“So as I count down to the end of the show and move on to my next chapter, at OWN, I’m not just cleaning my closet. I’m cleaning out my life. And I’m keeping only that which delights me or enhances my well-being. That means another big ol’ garage sale coming up: clothes, shoes, dishes, furniture, stuff…”
–Excerpted from “What Oprah Knows for sure about de-cluttering her life”– O, The Oprah Magazine | February 09, 2011 Oprah.com
Photo: iStockphoto
