#4 Hold on or let go?

From my experience, I’ve noticed that people tend to fall into different categories when it comes to the “stuff” in their homes—and in their lives. For me, cleaning and organizing have long been one of the ways I cope when life feels overwhelming. It has been both a blessing and a curse.

Over the years, I’ve come to truly enjoy the entire process of home projects, whether it’s deep cleaning a house, purging a closet, or rearranging a room to make it more functional. I love putting on music, learning the words to the songs that become the soundtrack of whatever season I’m in, and zoning out as I work. There’s comfort in knowing there’s a starting point and an ending point. Even if a project takes several days, I know I’ll eventually cross the finish line, and everything will end up where it belongs.

I know how I’ll execute the plan. I can control where things end up and how they’ll look once they get there. I know the satisfaction I’ll feel when it’s finished.

I know that fresh sheets will welcome me into bed that night. I know I’ll notice the neat vacuum lines the next time I walk into the room. I know I’ll find the spice I need without digging through a crowded cabinet. I know I’ll glance at an empty laundry basket and feel relieved that everything is clean, folded, and put away instead of tangled together staring at me every time I walk by. There’s something incredibly satisfying about bringing order to chaos.

When Paw & Order began taking shape, I knew I wanted to build something around the things I genuinely enjoyed doing and felt confident doing well.

Caring for animals. Cleaning and organizing spaces. Donating things I didn’t absolutely NEED to someone who did—and knowing the impact that could make in their life. Giving people peace of mind when they couldn’t be present and stepping in to help when they needed another set of hands.

Those were all things that brought me joy.

I realized I could take something that had helped me navigate obstacles that felt inconceivable and turn it into an act of service for someone else. As an added bonus, it would help me, too—but in an entirely different way.

Of course, not everyone copes the way I do.

Some people want absolutely nothing to do with cleaning closets, wiping down countertops, or even spending time at home when life becomes heavy. Instead, they pour their energy into something entirely different. We all develop our own ways of managing stress, and many people have built lives and careers around helping others in the areas where they naturally thrive.

People helping people with the things they struggle with is one of the greatest gifts we can give each other.

We all need help with something.

The challenge comes when our coping mechanisms begin taking over our lives.

Sometimes we spend so much time and energy leaning into what feels comfortable that other responsibilities and priorities slowly move to the backseat—or even the trunk— to be forgotten about completely.  If we’re not careful, avoiding our bagage only makes it heavier to carry and possibly too heavy to fly with- unless we take a couple of pounds out. The domino effect becomes very real.

Home is where we go to reset, recharge, and exhale. It’s the place where we should be able to feel safe after doing our best to navigate everything life throws our way. It’s where we can simply be ourselves without worrying about anyone else’s expectations.

When clutter and chaos begin to accumulate in our homes, they can often mirror what we’re carrying internally. We walk through the front door only to see our stress displayed right in front of us. If it isn’t our home, it’s somewhere else. Our struggles have a way of finding the spotlight, and sometimes they become so overwhelming that we don’t even know where to begin

I know that cycle; I'm sure we all do.

That’s why it’s so rewarding to step outside of my own “stuff” for a while and help someone else feel like they can breathe again when they walk into their space.

Turning chaos into peace doesn’t solve every problem, but it reminds us that things can be managed one step at a time. It creates a home that feels welcoming instead of overwhelming—a place where we can rest before facing whatever comes next.

I still need help in the areas where I procrastinate or distract myself by scrubbing floors instead of dealing with the harder things. We all have blind spots.

When the noise settles and our surroundings begin to reflect the peace we’re searching for instead of the stress we’ve been carrying, it becomes just a little easier to take the next step forward. What we are choosing to keep is aligning with who we are becoming.

We all have ways of turning our hardships into hope for someone else.

If my experience can help lighten the weight someone else is carrying, I don’t want them to have to look around their home and see that heaviness waiting for them at every turn. Clearing out the clutter - physical or emotional- can be draining and takes patience and grace with yourself and others. It is more than a chore. It's an act of reclaiming space for peace to breathe and growth to occur. It shows us that the effects of an orderly space are significant. We can see what is really important and what is taking up valuable space reminding us of our earlier self.

Reach for something new.

So... what are you holding onto? And what might be ready to let go?

 “You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.”

  -Louise Smith-