Traits of an Empath #21

21. Abhors clutter: It makes an empath feel weighed down and blocks the flow of energy.

Until I sat down and started writing these, I didn't realize quite how hard they hit home.

This one knocks me off my feet.

I HATE clutter.  I HATE crap!  I get SO sick of stuff.

I grew up in a house of, "Save that!", "Move that pile to this chair.", "Just move those papers, you can sit there.",  "Don't mess up my papers there, Gail Ann",  "Don't move that!" and "I was saving those."

I do not save much of anything.  Not plastic butter dishes, no cream cheese containers, none of the "dishes" from microwave meals (nor do I buy microwave meals).  I don't save ink pens, twistie ties, jelly jars - or any other plastic jars, plastic baggies, plastic silverware, or any other little tidbits of junk.

That said, I do recycle everything I possibly can.

I do not keep most of the books that I have read.  I generally pass them along to someone else or I  donate them to my local library.

I keep a box on my porch that I add odds and ends to and once that is full, it goes to the curb as freebies.  If no one picks them up, they get donated.

Most old toys get cycle through our daycare.

I usually have 2 sometimes 3, clothing piles going - 1 for Goodwill and another for a church based thrift store.  The 3rd is generally a pile that I say I will see on online auction but, they eventually end up in the church pile and get donated when ever the bag is full.

When ink pens accumulate, I send a baggie of them to work with Jeremy.  Restaurants ALWAYS need pens!  And generally because he brings them home from there!

I've also changed a lot of what I buy as well.  Right now, I'm on a "use it up" kick.  This happens when I have 10 of one thing and have refused to buy more until what we have is gone.  Currently - gallon size zipper seal bags, soap/shampoo, any kind of body lotion, and  BBQ sauce.  The downfall to this rule - when I run out of these things, I never think to buy them because I've been convinced for so long that we don't need them!

I try to resist taking hotel toiletries but, when they smell good, I do bring them home.

I don't want to live in clutter.  I didn't like it the first time.  I do become rather paranoid when I feel the stuff starting to pile up and then the uncontrollable urge to purge takes over!  And I do not mind!