The young hoarder

I remember that I first started decluttering well before I was a teenager. Before the round of applause; I'm sure that most of you have realised what it took me a long time to understand. To be able to declutter at such a young age - I must have been hoarding before that.

It's obvious now I look back. You can't declutter what you don't have.

My decluttering has always been most successful if I start when I'm supposed to be asleep! It gets on my mind. Oh, this can go. Erm, do I really need that? I remember often my Mum would come into my room when I was supposed to be asleep and ask me what I was doing. I was tidying up, I didn't know it had any other name at that point.

A lot of my childhood was spent riding my bike. You can't be playing with the stuff you own if you're on a bike ride. And yet - I had a lot of stuff! It just seems to be the way of our 'civilised' world. I recall often putting my collections of magazines in a circle around me and just reveling in the wonderful feeling it gave me. I think this feeling was some sense of security. But the better sense of security were those evenings when I felt secure enough to get rid of some of my stuff. Somewhere deep inside I realised that I didn't need this stuff to live. This stuff didn't make the person I was.

Cycling around my neighbourhood and exploring were the real things helping to form me. Finding a vast open space with ponds, which I later found out was called Ashby Ville, which I'd often cycle to and enjoy spending time with nature was very exciting and life affirming to me. I spent a lot of time there over the years, on my own and with friends.

It's the nature, the wildlife, the outdoors, the adventure and exploring that - for me - help to form us, affirm us, relax us; and when we're ready, to heal us.

So I hope that you can all feel secure in the knowledge that you have enough - and more importantly - that you are enough.

All the best, Tim