embracing who you are

Last year, I had a really hard time dealing with life because I was an introvert surrounded by extroverts, and I felt like I didn't fit in anywhere. It left me feeling confused and really upset at times, and sometimes it bothered me to the point where I couldn't even enjoy the things I was doing. I never really dealt with wanting to be like everyone else in the past, so it was a really confusing thing for me to struggle with.

2014 is a whole different story, a better story.

I'm starting to accept that I am an introvert, but more importantly, I actually like being an introvert. I like being by myself, and acknowledging that doesn't make me a loser or loner. It just means that I enjoy the time I spend by myself because I get to pick the activity, music, food, and environment. I don't have to worry about pleasing everyone else around me, because I really hate doing that actually.

It doesn't mean I never go out either; I've actually been going out quite a lot these past few weeks, but I'm glad I don't have any social plans for March. I need time to myself to refresh and wind down from everything that's been happening. I do enjoy being around people, but too much social interaction can easily overwhelm me.

That's just who I am, and I like that. I struggled a lot in the past with accepting myself, but with each passing year, I'm learning to love and accept more and more which is something that I notice a lot of people still deal with, and it often leaves them feeling unhappy and unsatisfied with themselves. Learning to love and accept myself is not something I want to struggle with when I'm 40.

It's not that I hate extroverts. In fact, I love people who they are extroverts. I love the energy that they give off, how outgoing and engaging (and quite frankly just lovely people) they are with everyone they talk to, and I admire them a lot. I mean, not all extroverts are like that, but there are some that they are and their personality just really stands out wonderfully.

The point I'm trying to make is to embrace who you are because we're all unique and in our own way and that's pretty amazing.

So love who you are, because some out there thinks it's wonderful, and that someone should be you.

“Isn’t it refreshing to know that what comes perfectly natural for you is your greatest strength? Your power is in your nature. You may not think it’s a big deal that you can spend hours immersed in something that interests you—alone—but the extrovert next door has no idea how you do it.” - Laurie Helgoe

declutter your life // one place at a time

 (The space untouched isn't mine so I didn't clean it out.)

One day, my mom told me "Molly, don't end up like me with all this stuff. Throw away the stuff you don't want and only buy what you really need." And at the time, I knew it was really good advice. But I thought to myself "yeah, maybe I'll do that in the future" and over time I kept telling myself "well, maybe tomorrow." Maybe you've thought that yourself too. "I'll start doing this tomorrow." And then it's tomorrow, the next day, the day after that, and so on. And everything just keeps piling up until you finally hit that point where it's just like "I can't do this to myself anymore. I have to do something about it." It sure took me long enough, but it finally happened. I finally got overwhelmed by all the junk that was piling up in my life, and I knew I had to do something about it.

I'm a hoarder, not to the extent of some people, but I like keeping my stuff. But I threw out all these things I knew I didn't knew anymore like magazines I never read, books I would never use again, clothes I haven't worn in the past year, etc. It's hard to let things that have value to you go, but it's important to remember that you don't have a t-shirt to remind you that you once ran a marathon. You ran that marathon, and throwing away the t-shirt doesn't mean you throw the experience away.



So how would one go about decluttering? I've listed a few places in your home where you can start.You could sort through everything all at once, or take it one step at a time so it doesn't overwhelm you.

1. Your closet. The clothes that don't fit anymore? Yeah, you won't be wearing that any time soon. You don't need it, even if it has sentimental value. But you don't need a shirt to remind you that you ran that marathon once or that you were once apart of your high school book club. The clothes you haven't worn for the past three years? Yeah, you won't be needing that either. I'll be honest with you - the clothes I told myself I would wear five years ago were still there unworn and untouched, until I finally took the plunge and donated it. If you're on the fence about something, ask yourself how many times you've worn it.

2.  Your workspace. If you're in college like me, my advice is to rent your books. Or sell them after you're done using them. You know how your school constantly tells you that you can sell them for half of what you bought it for? Yeah, listen to them and do that. Because you probably won't ever need the book again, unless it relates to your major. Things clutter up quickly; your notebooks, your books, your notes, etc. Organize, organize, organize. Organization is key. Use a drawer file cabinet as a place to keep all the things you need (bills, important papers, etc.) You can thank me later. Keep only what you really need and throw out the rest, because you don't need it.

3. The living room. If you're like me, then you have a bunch of random stuff lying around too. I'm a crafty person, and when I want to start a new project (such as crochetting or making bracelets), I buy a bunch of supplies and maybe get into it for two months and then never touch it again. It's hard throwing away things you spent money on, but at some point, you have to realize that you're just creating a bigger mess to yourself. Do you know why people hate the process of moving? It's because they have so much stuff. Stuff that they don't need or use anymore.

4. The kitchen/fridge. I'm going to start off by saying that if an appliance is collecting dust, it's time to say goodbye. It's just taking up room, like all the other things in your home. I clean out my fridge on a regular basis now, but that stew that's been in your fridge for the past two weeks? Or that jar of mustard that's been there for over a year untouched? Yeah, time to throw those things out. In the future, you'll know what foods you like and don't like. (Don't buy the foods you don't like, because you would eat them. And you'll clutter up your space. Like I did for many years. Don't be like me, learn from my mistakes.)

5. Your computer. I can't even begin to imagine how many websites, blogs, articles, funny images, etc. I bookmarked over the years. How many times have I actually gone back to them? Probably somewhere less than 10. However, if you're nothing like me (and if that's the case - lucky you), you look at those things again. Keep them organized in folders. Folders are essential to everything in life; they are your key to organization. And like I've been saying throughout this whole post; if you don't need it, throw it out. (Reptition helps the mind remember, right?)

I hope decluttering your home has helped you in the same way that it's helped me. Tell me how your experience goes! Was it hard letting go of the things you've held on to for so long just for the sake of holding on to them? Do you feel better now that you have less things and more room? Do you notice any difference in your mood or energy levels?