The world of Tzu Chi December 2020(Vol.129)

eature Organizing stuff and life – Lim Kai En, organizing consultant Translated by Ong Mooi Lin D o you have difficulty finding the right clothing to wear despite having a full closet? This is probably the most common problem faced by ladies for a few possible reasons: the clothing style is no longer suitable, lack of confidence resulting in difficulty matching clothes, and overly conscious of what others think regarding wearing the same clothes repeatedly. In the process of organizing the closet, career women who wished to portray a professional image realized that they had been wearing casual T-shirts most of the time despite having many beautiful clothes. There was a clear gap between the ideal and actual image. A middle-aged mother stockpiled a lot of expired food at home without realizing it. She had kept them for her husband and children who lived and worked outstation. In fact, she pinned her focus on the food and unknowingly bought more as she lacked a sense of security. It was an expression of her love to her family members as she wanted to give them the best. A process of self-discovery Lim Kai En, a graphic and web designer, is also the first organizing consultant in Malaysia. She illustrated her clients’ self- discovery process when she was guiding them to plan their space and organize their stuffs. She started decluttering and discarding unnecessary items in her house after reading a translated version of “Dan-Sha-Ri” by Hideko Yamashita four years ago, and felt relieved after organizing. “It changed my spending habit. I loved buying things but now, I will take into account an item’s lifespan, usage and how it will be handled upon disposal,” she related. Danshari is not only limited to sorting one’s belongings, but also a way of life. Kai En is an example. She managed to let go of her obsession towards her belongings, and totally changed her perceptions and living habits. She used to be a sentimental person and liked to keep things as remembrance. The first time she decluttered, she discarded eight out of ten boxes of her belongings, including notebooks, examination papers and her artworks. For the first time, it made her feel that she was truly decluttering instead of just moving things around. 2020 • 12 10