You don’t know me, but we have a lot in common. Too much stuff. And we probably hold onto it for the same reasons. We’re afraid to let go.
But let’s be honest with each other, even if we’re not honest with anyone else. Having this much stuff hurts us. We are stuck and unable to move forward. We’re sacrificing all that’s good in our lives. We feel we can’t give it up, but those we love are giving up on us the longer we hold onto it.
This blog came into being because I’m tired of the stuff. It’s cramped my personal life and compromised my family. Now, as an empty nester, I can’t argue that “I’m holding onto it for the kids.” That’s a lie. I’m holding onto it for myself and I am coming to terms with acknowledging that I don’t need it. I would feel so much more free without it.
My solution: I’m facing my hoarding problem one room at a time, and inviting you to to follow along in this process. If I write about it, it’s my way of committing to action — to moving toward a solution. If I share my intentions with others, I’ll have to follow through. No shame, no gain.
Maybe you’ll gain the courage to join me and we can get through this together.
Yes, we’re letting go of stuff. But think of how much we’ll gain in return.
Recovering Hoarder 
On whim, I decided to search for the term “recovering hoarder” because that’s what I feel I am. And I think I really started letting go of the “stuff” around the time you posted this entry in November, although I’ve been working on my mindset for awhile. Here at the beginnning of January 2013, I think I’ve already made a huge difference in my family’s quality of life by lightening the load, even though there is so much more to purge. Good luck to you! I am looking forward to reading your thoughts on this new world as you go along.
Cara, could you private message me?
Cara, isn’t that funny how we both got that impulse around the same time? Some might say it was that whole Mayan calendar thing — if you can’t clean house for the end of the world, when would you…ever? But I think it has to do with wanting to close out the old year to get a fresh start in the new year. Hoarding is like weight — you don’t put it on all at once. And like weight, it doesn’t come off quickly, unless you’re on the Biggest Loser or Hoarders or Clean Sweep. Thankfully, there are no reality show producers or camera crews following my every move. Just supportive people like you. Thanks. Keep us up to date with how you’re doing, okay?