“There was a man who went to his Rabbi because he was unhappy with the size of his house.

The Rabbi told him to move his cow into the house. He came back a week later and said he was still unhappy.

The Rabbi told him to move his horse into the house. This went on week after week. Each week the Rabbi would tell him to bring in another animal.

When the barn was empty, the man returned again, still unhappy.

The Rabbi told him to move the cow back to the barn. Over the course of time, the man moved the animals back to the barn one at a time. As he did his happiness increased. His house was not larger, but his visual space increased.” Author Unknown

We do the same thing in our homes. When we first move in, we inherit a couch or have one given to us. We work around that “cow” and get used to its presence. But it takes up too much space and we keep running into it.

Or we buy the large-screen TV that you can see across the street. You are too close to it to watch it comfortably from your seat.

We add smaller furniture, knickknacks, plants, rugs, chairs, etc. They all take up visual space. If you are not spending time in a room, it is not functioning. Sell, or give away, the “too large” furniture. When you buy furniture, or a TV, do your research to know what size is the right proportion for the room. In my 10’X12’ front room, a 32” flat screen was the correct size and inexpensive.

You will spend the rest of your life getting rid of the small stuff because our needs are constantly changing.

Flylady.net calls it “De-cluttering”.  She recommends spending a few minutes a day on it and will show you how to decide what to keep.

When we get rid of what is broken, no longer needed, no longer loved, we open up the space in our house to bring in the most important things – People!

As a bonus, you will never forget the joy on a recipients face when you give them something they really need. I donated my entire silk flower collection, with vases and paraphernalia, to the local high school for their production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” (I had to get rid of it because of dust allergies.) I can still see the awe in the faces of the four students, in two trucks, who picked it up.

The less I have, the happier I am.