“We have been told happiness is found in big houses, new cars, fashionable clothing, and full closets. As a result, we spend much of our lives pursuing possessions seeking this promised happiness in them. But fullness of life is not found in the things we possess.” – Joshua Becker

May begins with a return to my heart’s calling. April was fun as I, tongue in cheek, shed my inner domestic goddess and became a bit more playful with you. I hope you enjoyed it. No worries, I will attempt to still be witty, but truthfully, I felt a bit distracted. Distracted because all those experiments with closets and cabinets and food choices didn’t really address the real reason I blog. The real reason I write is to help us all understand one basic thing:

We have too much clutter in our lives.

Too much physical clutter. Too much emotional clutter. Too much spiritual clutter. Too much social clutter. It’s distracting.

Just typing the words “too much” gives me the heeby-jeebies. It is all so overwhelming to me sometimes, I admit. When I start to feel suffocated by my clutter, I get centered and come back to my original pursuit: What really matters?

The Answer is People. People really matter. Relationships. Relationships really matter.

For too long, the good life has been defined by overbooked calendars and time commitments that, seemingly, allow us to believe that we are really important to our community and the world as a whole. But I’m telling you…you don’t need a crammed-packed calendar to make that a reality. You are already important to your community and the world as a whole. You’ve just simply defined community and world too broadly.

Trust me on this. Your ‘community’ is that network of friends you keep up with on Facebook…with whom you never really keep in touch. Your ‘whole world’? What about your children? Your spouse? Your parents? Your friend that sticks closer than a brother? Aren’t they really your whole world?

I joked to my husband last night: “No body loves me. My phone hasn’t rang for three whole days and I haven’t gotten a text in 24 hours.” I was joking, of course. People love me…but there are days I wonder if I stopped checking in on social media sites…would anyone wonder where I’d gone?

We should build relationships – not resumes, social networks and definitely not bigger houses for stuff. Relationships. When we focus on relationships and on those we love, lives are changed. Your life. Other’s lives. And change is good.

This week’s challenge:

Pick one person and write a real letter to them. Start out by saying “I’m sorry I haven’t kept in touch. I hope to change that…” and go on from there. You will have to buy a postage stamp in order to mail this letter. A postage stamp. You remember those, right?

May Challenge

There is no challenge this month, as this ends the 90-day closet clearing challenge I asked you to start back in March. How did it go?