I realized I had written that I would talk about my disenchantment with chasing material goods and mainstream acclaim to feel good.

At the height of COVID I started to fill up donation bags with shoes clothes belts and pocketbooks to donate to the Salvation Army.

In reality 90 percent of what’s donated to this charity a reseller in Africa buys. The items ultimately wind up in a landfill in Accra.

Instead I’ve found a local thrift shop I can donate my like new items to that gives me a tax receipt too.

Since March 2021–over 3 years–I’ve donated a total of 30 bags to charities.

The truth is clear: mindless scrolling on websites can cause us to shop online impulsively. I’ve stopped doing this.

After my tidying spree I have one bag to donate this fall. That should be all. It’s liberating when the only clothes in your closets and drawers are the ones you wear every week.

Gone are the sweaters and other items that I bought because they caught my eye in a store. Today I have strict criteria for what I will buy and when.

This fall I bought two throw pillows and an ivory table runner to spruce up the dining table decor. That’s all.

Who needs 5 different sets of dinnerware? Three complete dinnerware sets were on the chopping block this March.

It can be overwhelming to need to take out and rearrange unused stuff to get to the one thing you need to find. Giving what remains breathing room frees our mind. Clear space clear mind is what I’ve always thought.

As a person who practices Feng Shui I’m convinced that keeping unused items in the same place for years and years causes stagnation.

The year is ending. Spring cleaning year-round is the foolproof way to spark joy.