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

“I can’t be 100% sure that one’s life will change after organizing one’s stuff, as the condition of every individual and family is different. However, I always believe that life needs to be managed. Only with the determination to organize and maintain it, life will change.” – Lim Kai En By learning to differentiate between “needs” and “wants”, she became a more informed consumer. Subsequently, she started to pay attention to her health by working out and changing her dietary habit. She quitted sugary food, eating only what her body needs. She even extended this practice to her social life by dissociating with people who are incompatible while making room for new happenings. She said, “A lifetime is very long. It’s impossible to keep everything and everyone.” A life of quality The significance of decluttering is not about how much to let go or discard, but rather, creating more space, time and freedom to comfortably focus on our interest and fostering the life we desire. Kai En explained, “People often think that decluttering is difficult, but actually it’s not. What’s difficult is to face our past along with unfulfilled promises and acknowledging our mistakes. Hence, learning to let go is a very important process in decluttering.” From her experiences, Kai En found that most of her clients are reasonably well off, but are unable to lead a high-quality life. Every household and belonging has its own story, hence, the reasons for failing to organize vary. Regrettably, many families waste their living space for things that they hoard. Imagine using up the precious space in your house (after paying for it according to square feet) only to fill it up with junk. A pair of young siblings once exclaimed, “Our house is different, like a new one!” before rolling on the cleaned floor. “We love our new room. We can sleep here after this. We want to decorate it beautifully.” Every child deserves more companionship, not more toys. Kai En was also moved by another scenario where the husband fixed some electrical appliances at home, then, together with the wife, hung a family portrait, which had long been left unattended on the floor. In reflection, at times, it is not that the family members are unwilling to help, but they have no chance to help. She said, “I can’t be 100% sure that one’s life will change after organizing one’s stuff, as the condition of every individual Decluttering–The Art of Living TZU CHI 129 11