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Are you hanging on to old clothes? A lot of people desperately cling to old clothes that no longer fit them. Having a box of “skinny pants” is like a dark cloud that hangs over your head saying, “I was better back then.” Many who go through weight loss surgery also hang on to clothes that are too large, or clothing they will simply never wear again.

Japanese organizational guru, Marie Kondo, suggests freeing yourself from this “clothing abyss” in an interesting way. She says: take absolutely everything out of your closet, and put it all in another room in your home. Next, go through your items one by one, and ask yourself, “Does this spark joy within me?” If it does not, donate it, sell it, or trash it. Free yourself from those ugly birthday pajamas, those sweat pants with holes in the knees, and those tennis shoes from six years ago.

In Kondo’s book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, she suggests that clothing has energy, and you handling it in such a process is an essential step. Knowing you are parting with certain items requires your thanks and appreciation. Hold each item and thank it for its role in your life and lovingly set it into the donation pile. Letting go of clothing in this way is an extremely empowering act, and one that allows freedom from the past.