27-9 Feng Shui Challenge for Spring

Cleaning is not my forte. In fact, on a list of ten items it comes in at number ten. My siblings and my daughter also despise tidying up, and we clean the same way; we put things into piles, then put each pile away. We come by it honestly, our father was untidy, we just never knew it, because my mother picked up after him for 40 + years. When she passed away, we saw him as he really was, he made piles just like the rest of us.

Because I do not like cleaning, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done, but I often have to force myself. My daughter used to say my toilet looked like a science project. I have gotten a bit better over the years, but it is still a struggle to maintain any kind of order in my life.

I am participating in a program this year that is supposed to put me in the Miracle Zone. That blessed state where good things happen to you and you become happy for no reason. After last year’s Pandemic Zone, I decided I could use a few miracles in my life. Each month the program works on a different area of your life. March, is about letting go and creating space.

Now, I am no stranger to letting things go. My husband and I divorced after 27 years of marriage, we managed to let it go and remain friends. We boxed up all my possessions and although I do not consider myself a hoarder, I was definitely going down that slippery path.

I paid for a large storage unit to house my things, it was expensive and crammed full of my 50 plus years of life experiences. I had moved in with my dad and there was no room for my goods; however, that didn't stop me from collecting more junk during the three years I was with him.

When my dad shed his mortal coil and we sold the beach house, it was decided I should move all my stuff to my daughter’s house and pay her to store everything, instead of hemorrhaging money to public storage.

My kid saw the "Danger, Danger Will Robinson", neon HOARDER sign glaring at her when all the bins and furniture arrived at the house. She was overwhelmed just looking at it all. Her Fiance and she had offered to store my things while I was teaching abroad, but they gently began making noises about, perhaps, together, we could get rid of a few things?

It was so hard during the first session of bin purging. I cried and whined and insisted I needed this thing or that thing. My daughter was compassionate yet firm, I had to reduce the number of bins. I had to learn to let things go.

The first expurgation was the hardest. There were between two hundred and three hundred plastic bins to go through. Every summer or fall after that, for three years, we went through the bins again and again. As time elapsed, I became less and less attached to things; and I am proud to say I have reduced my life possessions by more than half.

Letting go is tough. Giving up your memories can be painful. Some people suggest taking pictures of each item and then giving the thing away. I feel the loss of my possessions, but as each year passes, it does get easier to let go of that which does not serve my highest and greatest good.

In Chinese philosophy the number nine is most auspicious, that includes multiples of nine as well. I am up for this 27-9 challenge because I have been getting rid of things for years, so this should be a cake walk.

The point is to give or throw away 27 things each day for nine days. It can be a piece of paper, or a used-up pen, clothing, or trash. Anything that makes space and releases you from your prison of overwhelming untidiness.

It has to be 27 things each day. If you miss a day you have to start over. It's a feng shui thing. Now, you would think after giving up so many of my personal effects over the last few years, I would have nothing left to get rid of. Well, you would be wrong. As a recovering borderline hoarder, I always have something to get rid of.

If you find this challenge too overwhelming, there are some tricks you can do to help. Thanks to my daughter, I have become a pro at releasing my attachment to unnecessary items.

On day one I started with trash. Actual garbage and recycle stuff. Most of my 27 items the first day included recycling boxes and envelopes from the items I had bought over the last month or two. The garbage cans are not located conveniently at our house, and if it was raining, I just didn’t want to go out, so everything was piled up in a corner. I removed that stuff first, which revealed a clean spot that encouraged me to move on to bigger and better things.

Next, you can do a closet. A good rule of thumb is, if you haven’t used or worn an item in over a year, not once, get rid of it! Consider letting go of linens that no longer fit your table or house décor. If they are really nice, flirt with the idea of gifting them to someone for Christmas, or just sending them to the thrift stores.

If you haven't used some of that old sports equipment in years, why are you hanging onto them? Are you really going to start skiing again, or does the sight of the puffy, winter pants simply remind you of good times? Can you even get into them? Try selling used sports equipment on ebay or Craigslist, your items will go to good homes and you will make a little extra money, and space, as well.

Family heirlooms should be kept, but perhaps giving them to the kids BEFORE you die; instead of storing them in your house for your lifetime, might be a win-win scenario. Your children probably have the space for them, and you will have the joy of seeing your cherished items being used.

I have never had enough closet or drawer space for my clothes, so I have always had to box up my garments according to seasons. For example, the Spring Equinox is coming up, and I will be switching out my fall/winter clothes for the spring/summer ones.

It is wise to check each garment for wear and tear, if they are truly shabby, get rid of them. I know it is hard to let go of old favorites, but is it really in your best interest to wear items with holes in embarrassing places? I used to just transfer the clothes from bin to closet and closet to bin, year after year, without really looking at them.

There were always clothes in all sizes, the ones I was hoping to lose weight to get into, the ones that were a little bigger in case I gained weight. I finally got off that merry-go-round; only clothes that fit me at the present time will go into the closet or bins. I let a whole lot of garments go, the year I finally came to terms with the fact that I probably wasn’t ever going to fit into some of those items. It isn’t just letting go of clothes, it is letting go of mental baggage as well.

After taking care of the easy things like garbage, recycling, and clothing, it gets a little more difficult to find 27 items to give up or throw away. I usually just do areas like drawers and cabinets and other small spaces. It is easier to take small bites and chew carefully then big bites and choke. I am easily overwhelmed, so doing a drawer or two each day is manageable.

Learning to be mindful about your possessions is not easy, participating in a challenge like the 27-9 is a great way to help you decide what is really important; as well as making space for yourself, both physically and mentally. It is more than spring cleaning, it's a way of cleansing your surroundings, your mind, and even your soul of negative energy.

Not everyone enjoys cleaning. Not everyone can get rid of things without the pain of loss. Loss of memories, loss of self, the person we show the world, the person we strive to be. We equate our personal possessions with who we are, or who we think we are.

Releasing the old allows you to make room for the new. Keeping something just because it belonged to your mother or your great aunt, doesn’t mean it actually gives you pleasure. It can also be a burden.

So as the days lengthen and the sun returns, give yourself the gift of space. Try the 27-9 challenge for yourself; and see if it doesn't help you appreciate the material things you mindfully choose to keep, and allows more room for gratitude, among other things. You will feel better physically and emotionally, and as the season blooms into the fullness of spring; you will be ready to embrace a simpler, tidier, more mindful life.