FocusOnTheFamily

Declutter your life

Written by Mark Petersen

One humid Mississauga day, I crawled through traffic to my office, pulled into my parking space, and couldn’t get out of my car. In the heat, I sat frozen, unwilling to go in to face another dreary day of bureaucracy. I was trying to live a life of meaning, but was stuck. I felt like I had few options. But God spoke to me in that paralyzed place.

Recognizing my feelings as holy dissatisfaction helped stimulate me to action. I took a leap of trust, and called up an old friend whom I hired to be my coach. Suzanne and I met every two weeks for the next several months, while she assisted me in decluttering my life. Getting rid of stuff – both the junk that had accumulated around me, and the junk in my heart – was a liberating experience.

Liberating, perhaps, but not pretty. Decluttering meant facing the mess, and exposing it to the light for sorting, organizing, discarding and recycling. It got worse before it got better.

But doing so freed me, bringing clarity of vision and the energy to act. Newly revealed was a life purpose which had been sitting under my nose the whole time. Once my next steps became self-evident, I seized the opportunity that presented itself, and haven’t looked back.

Suzanne’s guidance led me to redefine what I live for. I learned to say no to the many good things vying for my time, and yes to the best things that aligned to my purpose. Relationships grew deeper as I focused on cultivating a few, good friendships, and I forgave and released those who were holding back my spirit from flying. Best of all, it brought me a simple yet intentional focus to serve others from where God had placed me within my life circumstances.

Mark Petersen is Executive Director of Bridgeway Foundation in Cambridge, Ontario, and is the author of Open Hands, a blog which explores the world of faith and philanthropy. Visit Markpetersen.wordpress.com*.

*Website and organizational references do not constitute endorsement or agreement by Focus on the Family Canada.

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