So, I knew it was coming… the part of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up when it would get weird. And well, today it happened.
Marie Kondo suggests that folding clothes transfers energy. And I responded, "Weird."
She suggested thanking your clothes. And again, I say, "Weird."
Finally, she makes a case for why you should treat your socks with respect. And I say a resounding, "Weird."
But contrary to what you might expect, I didn't close the book and walk away from it. I plowed through and kept reading… and I'm glad that I did.
I'd heard/seen things about people folding their clothes a different way as a result of reading this book. So I was curious as to what that was all about.
She says, "The key is to store things standing up rather than laid flat." Why? So that when you open your drawer, you can see everything at once.
I'm torn on this. On the one hand, it seems like a lot of work. She suggests: "Fold each piece of clothing into a simple, smooth rectangle." {My kids do most of the laundry nowadays and I'm trying to decide if I want to put in the work to teach them to fold and put away this way or not.}
On the other hand, it does make sense to have everything in your dressers in a way that you can see everything and don't have to dig to try to find what you're looking for.
Do any of you fold and put away your clothes this way? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it as I am toying with trying it.
"Keep things because you love them, not just because."
This quote is one I want to remember and follow. I've been noticing how much stuff I hang out because I think I should.
I should read that book. We should review that manners chart. I should teach my kids that. I should make that craft kit. And on and on it goes.
But none of these shoulds are bringing me joy. Instead, they are making me feel like I'm not doing enough.
I love what she said about books: "You are going to read very few of your books again. Keep only those books that will make you happy just to see them on your shelves."
And then she said this powerful statement: "Having fewer books actually increases the impact of the information I read."
Whoa. That's thought-provoking. And it made me immediately want to pare down my massive stack of I-want-to-read-right-now books next to my bed that has been taunting me for too long.
Two more quotes that really challenged me:
- "No matter how wonderful things used to be, we cannot live in the past. The joy and excitement we feel here and now are more important."
- "By handling each sentimental item and deciding what to discard, you process your past."
Did you read along with section 3 today? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it or on what I shared above.
