Growing By Simplifying; Kate Lovelady, Leader

What’s with the decluttering craze? It’s a very popular topic these days—we seem to spend half our time amassing stuff and the other half trying to organize and get rid of it. Some see the decluttering obsession as the ultimate “first world problem,” but in our cheap, mass-produced world, people of every economic situation can find themselves drowning in stuff.

Our relationship with our possessions brings up many powerful and often conflicting emotions and connects to both our environmental values and our personal histories. Decluttering principles can also be applied to more than material things. How can being more mindful of our space and our stuff help us lead happier and more ethical lives?