I have been through a few cupboards, in the laundry, bathroom and junkish (see it is not totally a junk room anymore) room, and my filing cabinet in the junkish room.
Looking at the things I weeded out, I can only wonder: why did I keep that? Why did I store this? This can only be destined for the bin!
Yet I know that there was a purpose in placing this item in a hanging file; in storing that item in a cupboard; in carefully placing another item in a container and placing that container in a cupboard.
How can I see the treasure among the trash? How can I honour things that are worthy, that have significant memories, if they are surrounded by rubbish?
Well, many of the things I kept for future craft work, like make my own cards (not that I do craft, but, you know, just in case I decided to start).
I am a great keeper of printed material from inservices and conferences or torn from magazines for future ideas. Yet I never use them, preferring to get more up-to-date material from Mr Google.
Then there is packaging in case I want to sell or move items. Mmmm. Can’t justify my thinking here. And how many shopping bags does one family need?
Other odds and sods, like rechargers, scraps of wrapping paper, I kept in case I needed them in the future.
Some items were damaged, but I thought that maybe they were good enough for family use, like towels that are fraying, thin and as stiff as cardboard. Or a table cloth with mould stains (from being left out on an outdoor table for too long). Yet, why use things that make you feel bad when you have plenty of nice things?
Out, out, out damn spot.
The result.
Piles of paper have gone into the recycling bin. And, happily, I have been able to toss dozens of hanging files. Some material has been donated to colleagues who actually need the material now. Leaving a whole drawer to store stationery. (Which will be sorted in the near future.)
My bathroom cupboard is looking a little less cluttered. Not as lean and organised as I would like but it is on the way!
Other drawers look full but not messy.
With old towels donated to an animal shelter, I have emptied a whole shelf in a line press, meaning I can move the towels that were stored on a bench on the laundry, leaving the bench top empty.
I won’t bore you with photos of all that was decluttered but a few will prove thae madness of hanging onto rubbish.
lucinda sans 
All I can say is ‘Hear, hear’. I am going to clean out my filing cabinet TODAY. yes, really. I have been promising to do this for about a year now. We can’t fit the filing cabinet into our new office, and anyway, it is stuffed with redundant rubbish, so I bought some filing folders and boxes to fit them in instead.
Don’t we have our decluttering halos on? Well, you do. I WILL, really.
I love two of your comments – how can you honour the things you love when they are surrounded by rubbish – SO TRUE.
And the fact that you stockpile craft supplies even though you don’t do craft. Hilarious. Have been there. Luckily my girls do craft, so are using up the stash. Maybe we hoard things that would enable us to become the people we really want to be – if we actually used them. There’s my thought for the day.
Hope you are feeling a little better xx
Feeling much better thank you.
And love your phrase right back at you. Redundant rubbish. (Any other type?)
Really you would not believe how much craft stuff I have kept. For a non crafter! And for how long I have held onto some of the supplies! Felt. Old cards to cut up. Cross stitch packs. Stickers. Ribbons. Scrap booking stuff. Yes, you are right. I want to be a crafter. Really, I want to have the spare time that being a crafter shows you have. Like a lady who lunches.
But it is paper that is my real hoarding problem. Comes with the job. Chalkies have too much paper!