Summary:
The article explores the author’s experience downsizing and decluttering, reflecting on the transition from a larger home to a smaller one. It highlights the challenges of letting go of belongings and embracing change while navigating the “bridge” between old and new lifestyles. Through anecdotes and conversations with friends, the piece underscores the importance of trusting the process and finding excitement in the journey toward new beginnings. Ultimately, it portrays the bridge as a transformative and opportunity-filled path rather than a place of uncertainty.
In 2009, my hubby and I downsized from a 3000 square foot house to a 1600 square foot townhouse.
When we made the move, dishes were carefully wrapped, boxes were packed and stacked, and big burly men with arms the size of hanging hams came and transported the stuff of our life to a new location.
Once we moved in, I still had things that I didn’t have room for (or need) in our new digs. Every day, I managed to fill at least three huge green garbage bags and two boxes for goodwill.
Not to mention that I think I have single-handedly paid for at least one industrious plastic worker’s kid to go to college — owing to all the plastic storage bins, organizational trays and snap shut boxes I had purchased to store and organize my remaining belongings.
I was in awe at the industriousness that the plastic mavens have applied to creating clever ways to store, organize, manage and track stuff. I had made six trips to The Container Store, two trips to Bed, Bath and Beyond and three trips to the Ace Hardware.
In the middle of the big move, we went to dinner with some good friends. We wanted to share about the transition we were going through and tell our tales. It turned out to be the perfect antidote to the chaos of the moment.
Over the course of the evening the four of us talked about the process of letting go of the old stuff and what if’s in our lives, and embracing being on the bridge in between the old life we just left and the new one we were in the process of creating.
“But the bridge is such a scary, uncertain, out of control place,” I said.
“It is,” said my friend. “But it’s also an opportunity to let what’s next evolve on its own. To have the fun of letting things organically take shape. Setting goals is great, but there is something to be said for trusting the process,” he said.
As I listened, I could see that while I was on the bridge (and I will probably be there for a while), it was not a bridge to nowhere, but a bridge to somewhere — somewhere fun and exciting and challenging and scary. One thing for certain: it’s going to be the best organized bridge anyone’s every seen.
This post was originally published at Karen Leland’s Featured Small Business column on The Huffington Post.
