Empty Boxes: Getting Free from Too-Much-ism

A 5-min. practice to release old stories, old stuff and create more open space

Happy Fall Equinox, Brave One. As we celebrate the fullness of the season, abundant harvest, back to school, etc., do you feel overloaded? If too much stuff adds to the overwhelm, try the 5-minute Empty Boxes exercise (below👇🏽). First, a song to celebrate a past harvest at our farm:

Does ‘too-much-ism’ rob your creative energy?

Too-much-ism is more than consumerism. In our human desire for ‘better, different, more,’ we chase the next shiny thing: a new job, home, partner, lifestyle, or even a creative dream. At some point, you feel the weight of All The Things.¹

A former overachieving organic veggie queen, I grew boatloads of beets, scads of cabbages, and buckets of beans as long and hairy as Bigfoot’s arm.

Abundance is a mixed blessing. You gotta care for it all. Feed the soil, plant the seeds, water, weed, harvest, clean, store, and preserve. Can it, dry it, give it away, and label it properly! All good, beautiful tasks of “simple living.” But not for me.

Living the dream, but it grew bigger…

Truth: Growing food grounds me and connects me to the Earth. But I’m no foodie. I don’t even like to cook 🤷🏼‍♀️ My ancestor’s survival fears lived in my body; our homestead was rooted in the dread of fossil-fuel systemic collapse. I imagined it would save us! 🤪

Tending this abundant lifestyle squashed my creative output, so I had to let it go (now, a fresh young gardener grows 125 tomato plants and jungles of kale on this land).

It’s brave to let stuff go.

My husband got a friend’s pottery wheel 15 years ago. He loves the idea of spinning clay in his hands, but it’s still stored in plastic. Sound familiar?

We imprint objects with our longings, our stories of meaning, experiences, and memories. Our stuff holds ideas, inspirations, dreams, and visions for our lives.

While some collect things for pleasure, too much stuff spins me into overwhelm. I enjoy ‘Resourcer-ing,’ moving things onto new homes. I’ve cleared the garage, clothes, books, and two hoarder havens, thanks to “Buy Nothing” and local gift economies.²

But I suck at clearing my past creative projects. I’m hoarding totes of journals and manuscripts (3 unpublished novels, 6 short stories, 1 non-fiction book, a screenplay, and 2 graphic novels). Yikes 😳

These boxes reveal how my Monkeys of Fear have held me back from reworking and sharing my work! Or letting it go.

This Fall, I commit to sort, share, or release these works to a ritual fire. It’s scary. I’m gonna need some support…

What do you need to let go of?

We all do better with support! Become a Mostly Brave crew member to join our monthly Brave Creative Ritual for 25% off < click link ($40 /year = $3.75 /month, .87 /week)

Another dream that I HATE to let go…

Our Retro Dream Studio: For Sale 1955 Spartan Royal Mansion in original condition

Wanna buy this 1955 Spartan Royal Mansion?

This fall, I release a 10-year dream of restoring this vintage retro trailer into a vocal sound studio. Years of research, hunting, buying, moving, cleaning, designing, discovering rust, searching for solutions, giving up, getting re-inspired, my partner’s two back surgeries, and procrastinating a final decision. It hurts my heart to kiss this creative investment goodbye. But my Soul knows it’s time for this dream to move on (see our ad).

Do you struggle to clear space? Try today’s tool.

Let’s bring our dreams and stories to light. See you in the comments 💗

Today’s 5-minute exercise: Empty Boxes

From my deck, HeartsQuest: Creative Tools to Navigate Change

May this 5-minute practice clear the way for more brave open space.³ This video features my ridiculous alter-ego Queen Poopicina sharing the potty-mouth, ‘Holy Sh*t’ 💩 version of the tool with a spontaneous song. Or follow the steps below.

Empty Boxes: What can I let go of?

• BREATHE deeply. Consider all your old stuff and clutter that can clog up your life.

• IMAGINE three empty boxes, open and ready. One is for stuff to be given away, one is for trash/recycling, and the smallest is for things that must stay.

• ENVISION your clothing, books, papers, and miscellaneous stuff. What’s ready to go?

• IN YOUR MIND’S EYE, PICK UP a non-sentimental item first. Does it have a story? Listen. Feel thankful.

• WATCH your hand easily put that item into the right box. Trust it. Continue to other items.

• REFLECT when done, “What’s most essential and joyful to keep is...”

Creative Prompts to lighten your load

• EXPLORE: Write or share what you can let go of (love your Comments👇🏽 )

• CREATE: Make a song, poem or valentine devoted to a beloved object that’s just gotta go.

• MANIFEST: Invite a friend to help you fill 3 real boxes to clear out. Help her do the same at her place. Next, consider food, people, or habits that your instincts know: it’s time to let go. Take real steps to move those elements out of your life.

🗣️ Your turn: Know anybody who grows or hoards enough food to last two apocalypses? How would you fill three empty boxes of stuff? Anything you’d HATE to get rid of?

Thanks for clearing the way. 💝 when you like 💗, comment, or share with someone who's ready to get brave and clear out some sh*t, you help me and you be more brave.

So glad you’re here with me! More to come,

1. Jonathan Fields writes how Too Much led to shingles.

2. Buy Nothing groups bring joy and connection to a clearing process (see this overview by Jennifer Newton). I was blessed to be part of the first Buy Nothing FB group. “We build resilient communities where our true wealth is the connections forged between neighbors.”

3. I created this tool before Marie Kondo published “Spark Joy,” her mega-bestseller and Netflix series that sparked a simplicity movement to change hearts and minds about stuff.