Making Room for the Future

I had been planning to do it for months. I was going to take a day or two and go through the bookshelves, the closets, the pantry and freezer, and every corner of the house that had grown thick with items that had accumulated over the past year.

I put it off because it all seemed so daunting. It felt like such a large singular task to undertake. And there was always something more pressing to take care of, something always that diverted my attention and my energy. But I decided even if I wouldn’t finish in a day, I could at least get started. To my surprise, something curious happened. As the books came off the shelves and the clothes out of the closets, I noticed myself growing in energy and enthusiasm.

Between filling up the trash bin, the recycling bin, and bags for donation, I thought I’d be exhausted by the end of it. Much to my surprise, the more I did the more I wanted to do. By the end of the day, I was refreshed and invigorated. I didn’t want to stop.

One of the ways we increase our experience of God is by creating space through clearing out unwanted items and giving them away.

Why Less Can Be More

There’s something empowering about putting items back into circulation. It’s heartening, of course, to imagine clothing and other items getting into the hands of people who need them. It always feels good to know we’re helping. But even more, this kind of giving counters the idea that giving means having less. Looking at it from a spiritual perspective, releasing items we no longer want or need means having more. This is because we’re expanding our circle of giving to include those we don’t know and will likely never meet.

The opposite is true too. As this circle of giving expands, so does the circle of receiving, opening us to new channels of manifestation and opportunity.

As the one presence and power in the universe, God is the source of all manifestation. One of the ways we increase our experience of God is by creating space through clearing out unwanted items and giving them away. It’s a way of signaling a readiness to move forward and welcome opportunity, and a willingness to be surprised, called to create the future anew.

I think that’s why I felt so energized, even as I was hauling bag after bag out of my house. As I cleaned out the physical space, I was also clearing room in my soul, expanding the space for new ideas, new dreams to take root and grow. Even now as I look around my house and see a bigger area, I feel serene because the lightness of open space has replaced the heaviness of clutter. I feel a commensurate spaciousness inside telling me anything is possible.

You may be able to relate. Maybe you’re feeling heaviness or limitation in some area of your life. If you are, I invite you to think about what you can release. Gather items you can donate or sell. And as you do this, think of the action not as getting rid of things but instead as giving to someone who needs or wants them. Giving with appreciation for how the items served you and with trust they will go to the right person or place. And remember you’re also giving to yourself. You’re giving yourself new avenues of abundance and opportunity that are the gateway to your unlimited future.