Cleaning Out Our Closets: Body, Mind, and Spirit

A Summary of our Relief Society Meeting

 

We had a great weekday Relief Society Meeting on Tuesday, July 16.  Thank you Tansey Hall for putting it all together with a game, speakers, sharing ideas, dessert, and a craft!  Many thanks to our four speakers: Shawna Smith, Brittany Frazier, Tianna Rose, and Angie Jeppesen.  These ladies gave us such good and inspiring ideas.  Then we each shared our best organizing tip.  It was a great evening.  For those of you who couldn't make it, and for those of you who did and want to be reminded of what was said, here are a few of the ideas the speakers shared with us.  (I was given a copy of Shawna Smith's notes -- that's why there is more information from her talk than the others.  All 4 talks were so, SO GOOD!)

 

Shawna Smith spoke on cleaning out our homes:

She said that she has a few "stuff" rules that she lives by:

 

(1)The first one is the "80/20 rule".

Did you know:

We wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time.

We use 20'% of what we own 80% of the time.

We reference 20% of our paper files 80% of the time.

So, turning that around...basically 80% of your items are only being used 20% of the time!  And within that 80% of stuff there is a huge percentage that are never seen and never used-- ever!  Wow!  Can you imagine eliminating your 80%, it would be life changing.  And we would spend a lot less time cleaning.  Go through your 80% and get rid of most of it...I promise it will feel so great.

 

(2) Rule number 2 addresses sentimental items.  Here's the rule...

"If everything is Special then nothing really is."

We want the keepsakes that we have to really mean something, to help tell the story of your most significant experiences. But if you keep everything, the most important things will lose their value.  So to address keepsakes you limit yourself to a container. When it’s full…that’s it- no more. (So if you want to add a special item, you have to evaluate if something already in the container is still special enough to stay there!)

(3) The next rule addresses shopping, gift giving and getting, and accepting "free" stuff that your neighbor is getting rid of. 
It is "The Interrogation Rule"
Be very protective of your home.  Sister Hinckley said your home is your own private temple and everything needs to prove itself worthy of being there.  Be fiercely protective of your home.  Is this item worthy of taking up space in my home?  Consider each and every item as being guilty unless proven innocent.  Everything is a suspect and needs to be interrogated.  Toys are a huge culprit. 
Are you just clutter?
Are you cheap and easily broken?
Will you steal away my child's creativity and desire to be outside?
Do you need batteries which will end up costing me more money over time?
Do we already have something similar to you at home?
Will you take up precious space?
Protect your temple.  This will really help you limit the stuff in your home.

(4) The last rule is the "In and Out" rule.
No matter how good you get at the interrogation rule, things will always, ALWAYS be coming into your home.  It comes from school, work, birthday parties, grandparents, scouts, church activities and everywhere else.  So you have to MAKE SURE that things are always, ALWAYS going out.

I am grateful for house work.  It means I have a house.  I am grateful that my floors need sweeping...it means my kids and their friends are running in and out while they play.  I am grateful there are dirty dishes to be washed...it means my family is not going hungry.  I'm grateful for dirty laundry...it means my family has clothes to wear...it means my kids are healthy enough to get dirty...it means I have a washer and dryer...I am grateful for little hand prints on my windows...it means I have children.  I am grateful that with my able body, I get to scrub and fold and wash.  I am grateful to be the keeper of the house...it means that I am blessed.

Brittany Frazier spoke about taking care of our bodies by eating right.  She compared this concept to maintaining a car.  We take care of our cars so that when we go out, they will start when we want them to start, and take us where we want to go.  The same is true of our bodies.  It is important to maintain our bodies so they will take our spirits where we want to go.  Moderation in all things.  Follow the Lord's diet.  We are what we eat.

Tianna Rose talked about taking care of our bodies by exercising.  She read D & C 89:18-21.  The benefits of exercise is that you look better.  And you feel better.  Let's keep our priorities straight:  (1)  Heavenly Father (2) Me (3) Spouse (4) Children (5) Church (6) Job.


Angie Jeppesen spoke of Spiritual Cleansing.  Cleansing our spirit is just as important as cleansing everything else.  And that means repentance.  Sometimes we think of repentance as being a negative thing because it involves sorrow.  But repentance means we are on the better path and it is the sweet fruit received as we turn towards the Savior and leave sin.  Having the Holy Ghost with us helps us to do things that we cannot do on our own.  We are to overcome sin and the desire to sin.  We can't clean ourselves.  We are to draw nearer to God and He will cleanse us.  Learn to laugh at yourself and enjoy life. 

Just pick one thing.  Take just one step at a time.