Making Space, Creating Clarity: Letting Go Of Old Versions
I don't know how I didn't think of how my old clothes are piling up but I would think of getting a new pair of wears. I saw the prompt for this week, looked at my wardrobe and I gave a quiet sigh. Of course, it's not because I have nothing to wear lol but because I had too much that no longer feels like me. Outfits I kept that maybe one day I’d need them again and I'm yet to use them.
The prompt made me realize something deeper was going on... The One Object I’ve Been Holding On To. For a long time now, I kept clothes meant for my old self. And honestly, some of these wears remind me of how I was before (unsure, trying to fit in and dressing for approval instead of comfort). Some even feel like a push to go back to my old self and not mind growth.
But the truth that I am so grateful for is, I’ve grown. I'm not the same person I was a year or two ago. I've realized that keeping those clothes won't help me in any way. They were taking up space in my wardrobe (no room for new ones) and in my mind (constant reminder of my old self). So I want to let them go, by giving them out.
I may not need them but I know there are people who can wear them with confidence, joy and without my kinda history attached to them lol. So that thought alone should make it easier for me to let them go and create the space my growth needs to have clearer and better wears to look like the version I'm creating myself to become.
The Invisible Burden I Didn’t Notice at First. At the same time, I realized I've been carrying something even heavier especially since late last year. I keep having "The pressure to have everything figured out already." In any area of my life, whether career, purpose or timing, I feel I should know more and have clearer answers.
Sadly, this pressure is following me everywhere and making me feel less even after what I've achieved and been through for myself and others. I've even had moments where I keep wondering how I'd figure things out and it made every small step feel insufficient. But I'm reminding myself that life is a learning ground.
I have to stop punishing myself for not having the full picture yet. But instead focus on the lessons that I can learn from every situation I find myself in. This thought actually brings in more clarity than I ever imagined. Taking a slower approach is showing kindness to myself and others it could have affected, I am learning to grow at my pace.
What Letting Go Would Mean For Me.
I can already tell how beautiful the results of letting go would be. My wardrobe would be lighter. It will be easier to get dressed and there will be space to welcome who I’m becoming. Mentally, I would feel calmer showing up to my work with more confidence because I’m no longer fighting an invisible timeline in my head.
Images used are mine and edited by me.
This piece is incredibly truthful and easy to relate to. Reading through this, I sooo love the way you tied something as simple as clothes to something much bigger, "identity, growth, self-compassion." To release the items associated with a past version of self is never easy, but the strength that comes through in the clarity of that choice is very much incredible.
Where you talked about releasing the weight of needing all the answers, is what made me pause and think, I think that, that weight is something many of us carry on our own shoulders. The release that comes through understanding life is a learning ground and that growth at your own rate is growth all the same felt like a deep sigh of relief.
Thanks for sharing this personal take on minimalism that isn’t solely focused on items. You've done noble
You connected very well from the perspective I came from, I really appreciate that. It's not always about what we see, but what we feel even when we're talking about physical items.
This image belongs to millycf1976 and was manipulated using Canva.