Are you delighted when a friend drops in unannounced? Or are you horror-struck at the prospect of an unexpected visitor, because you’re embarrassed about your clutter? Is your clutter keeping you apart from others?
How Long Do You Take?
If it takes you five minutes to tidy up for a visitor then you don’t have a clutter problem. However if you have to spend more than an hour tidying before you will allow anyone into your home, then you may have issues with clutter!
Oh the Shame!
The result of having a lot of clutter is often that you’re reluctant to invite people around. If your home is so cluttered that it mortifies you and you have to spend a whole day tidying before you have a guest, then the frequency of your visitors is likely to diminish! You certainly won’t encourage spontaneous visits and even planned occasions will cause you much upheaval.
It’s Missing
You may feel that it’s impossible to hold a dinner party, because your dining room table is covered in clutter. You argue that it would take too long to clear it, that you have nowhere to put your one thousand piece jigsaw or your dressmaking materials. If you have a lot of clutter, you may not even be able to get into the room very easily, let alone find and clear the table!
Too Fragile
Another common problem with those of you who have lots of clutter is that you can be afraid something will get broken. You are particularly reluctant to invite children around in case they break some of your porcelain ornaments, knock over a delicate item of furniture, or spill something on your precious carpet.
The result of this is that your house may be a visitor-free zone or a child-free zone. You’re missing out on the pleasure of entertaining people, you rarely get invited to anyone else’s home as you don’t reciprocate and you’re missing the uplifting company of children. You may be feeling increasingly isolated because mixing with other people can be one of the most enjoyable things in the world. Yet your clutter is keeping you alone.
Not Tonight Dear
Even supposing you do still get invitations, you may be reluctant to go because you feel you’ve got nothing to wear. You may have so many clothes that you haven’t been able to organise them properly. This can mean that you don’t have a clear idea of what garments fit you, what goes with what, or which outfit is appropriate for any given occasion.
You may feel that you don’t have time to go out because you have to water fifty house plants, dust one hundred ornaments, or look after your many pets. How can you possibly leave all these things to take care of themselves and go jaunting off to enjoy yourself?
Excuses, Excuses
Your clutter is ruining your social life. Mixing with people makes you feel positive, adds zest to life, and can give you reasons to keep going. Other people make us laugh, keep us invigorated, take an interest in us, and are the quintessence of life itself! Yet you are lacking this vital element of life by using your clutter as an excuse.
People Matter
Don’t let your clutter run your life, but put it firmly in it’s place. House plants aren’t more important than people. Ornaments aren’t more important than children. You are more important than your clutter and you need to socialize to be happy.
Humans are gregarious creatures and whatever we may think, we are happiest when we have regular contact with people. Even a chat with the shop assistant in your local shop can cheer you up if you’re feeling a bit down. Imagine how great you would feel then, if you had some friends around for dinner?
See your clutter for what it is. Inanimate objects, which don’t have the power to make you truly happy. Don’t put dead objects before people, who have interests, passions and emotions. Your clutter doesn’t love you, take an interest in you, or regret when you’re gone. Take a good hard look at your clutter and realise what it’s causing you to miss out on. Open up your life to other people and exist the way you really want to; involved, integrated and sociable.
