Stuck in the Past

A while ago, I cleaned out a few old files in one of our filing cabinets. We have two four drawer filing cabinets, nice sturdy ones that belonged to husband's grandfather.

Both are stuffed.

I had to do a bit of cleaning out in order to fit the current year's tax folder into the cabinet. I put most stuff in recycling, but had a box for shredding. That box sat for four months because I didn't have a shredder. The other day, younger daughter and I hit the office supply store and bought a shredder. We started the next day and today, we finished the box.

This morning, for some reason the files called to me. Perhaps it was because late last night, I had the urge to do more and decided to tackle husband's workbench. Now, there might be a peek-a-boo view of the workbench in one of the photos below. It was covered in stuff. Receipts, bits of wood, screws, parts of half-done projects, tools. Paints, pens, dust, old plastic bags. Yucky. Very very yucky.

Now, for those in the Feng Shui know, a flat surface that is unusable due to clutter impedes creativity and energy. This bench was a toxic zone! Husband frequently complained about how hard it was to use, but for some reason found it hard to tackle the clutter.

Well, now it's clean. Actually clean. And clear. All the items are put away--tools with tools, projects in shallow boxes, papers filed where they can be accessed. It was very satisfying and now when I look at it, it feels restful and full of potential.

So, anyway, back to the filing cabinets. They are in a far corner of the basement--the Wealth area in fact. And how about that, stuffed full (i.e. no room for more!) cabinets in the Wealth area. Not good. I picked my personal financial drawer and went at. Hmmm...credit card and bank statements from the early nineties. Old promotional flyers, catalogs, solicitations. I generated a whole pile for the shredder and a huge pile for recycling. Still much more to do, but this feeling of lightness is addictive.