The TV Commercial That Changed My Life – Part 1

Something about the ad caught my attention. Normally I fast-forward or mute TV commercials but not this one. It was for an app called LetGo. Its purpose isn’t unique – to help me sell my stuff – but its focus set it apart.

The benefit of using LetGo highlighted by the ad was not making money or having more space in my house. It was about how good it feels to let go of something I’ve been holding onto for too long. That hit home.

I’m a sentimental pack rat. I attach a lot of emotional value to objects. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s good to have some items that bring me back to a treasured memory of another person or a meaningful experience. Where I run into trouble is when I assign that perceived emotional benefit too liberally. I spread it too wide, diluting the positive effects, and risk becoming a hoarder-in-waiting.

Motivated by that clever marketing campaign, I started cleaning. First a downstairs closet. Then a game cupboard. Then our master closet. Finally the garage. Item after item, box after box, I sorted, using a tip I read in an article about home organizational guru Marie Kondo’s NYT Bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – if it brings you joy, keep it. If it doesn’t, let it go.

After a garage sale, an overloaded trip to Goodwill and lots of trash bags, I really do feel better! I find myself opening the closets and wandering into the garage for no other reason than to look at the organized, uncluttered spaces. It gives me a happy, satisfied sensation. I feel lighter, less tied down, and more in control. Like I own my stuff rather than my stuff owning me.

But the real breakthrough came when I realized that this lesson on the benefits of letting go doesn’t just apply to my stuff. It applies to my whole life. And that story, I’ll tell in my next post.

For now, take a look around your living space. Open closets. Look under the bed. Peruse your shelves. For each item that you don’t regularly use, ask yourself a simple question – does this bring me joy? If not, let it go. If you do, you’ll take another happy step toward Becoming Yourself.