questioning things

Whether by choice or by necessity, all of us, at some point, need to get organized in one way or another. (At the moment, preparing to stage my house and move to another state require it of me. ) For many of us, items which have personal meaning--memorabilia, photos, art, collections, gifts, etc.--are the most difficult to organize and to part with. When clearing our personal clutter and purging excess in our lives, I believe it is helpful to come armed with a few key questions, which will make decisions easier.

In fact, I offer you nine questions (or sets of questions) to ask of your things, as you sort, purge, and order them. These questions are ones I've been thinking about and refining for some time now and always enjoy sharing with others, as they have greatly helped me navigate through my own personal belongings. (While I'm emphasizing personal things--items which one owns and which hold personal meaning--the following questions are equally applicable to things which are mundane or which have yet to be purchased or owned.)

The purpose of these questions is to assist you in letting go of that which does not serve you and attaining, instead, that which fully supports you.

Ask of your belongings:

1. What feelings or memories does the object hold? Are they good/uplifting feelings and memories, or bad/depressing ones? If your emotional associations are negative, why are you keeping it?
2. What does this object say to you about its and/or your history? Objects have a way of communicating with us, so ask whether this object conveys positive messages about the past or negative ones.
3. How did you acquire this object? Did you choose it? Or did someone choose it for you? Are you keeping it simply because someone in particular gave it to you?
   
4. Do you love and/or need this object? If you neither love it nor need it, let it go. This is a critical question about your overall attachment to an object.
   
5. Does it support your current goals and values? What are your current goals and values?
   
6. Is it clutter (anything that is nonessential, does not serve you, or is excess)? Does it block the flow of energy in your life?
7. Does this object help you move forward in a positive way? Is its energy life-affirming? How will it support your dreams?
   
8. Would you rescue this item in an emergency? In other words, is it something you want to hold onto into the future? Enough to save it from disaster?
9. Do you really want this object in your life? What do the answers to all the previous questions tell you about your relationship to the object under question? Is it clear that you still want this object in your life? If so, keep it. If not, it may be time to let it go.

I hope these queries guide you toward a more satisfying relationship with your stuff. Feedback and anecdotes welcomed, as always.