Zen of Cleaning

Rainia Kelly of Newsweek wrote a fun editorial after reading a book called Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life by Gail Blanke . The very act of purging items from your home, by decluttering your physical space, and living in the present, the book claims, you will find inner peace. Writes Kelly, "...this is a racket. Cleaning and organizing and simplifying always ends up costing us lots of money and time. ...I'm not saying you should let your house fall into disrepair or keep all your National Geographics forever, but couldn't that time and money be used to more directly help a person reach her true potential? Therapy, time with friends and family, a graduate degree—they all seem much more useful than cleaning your closets."

Coming from a family of packrats, a genetic predisposition I try very hard to fight (and lose every time), I have to admit she is right. No matter how hard you try, clutter is always there. Taking time to share a moment with friends or family has its own rewards. It's all about finding a balance.

Having said that, you don't want to end up like Big and Little Edie (see below).

You can read the article here on Newsweek.