Quotes from Peter Walsh

Our lives may take place over decades. But they're made of one long string of present moments like these. Of course, not all of these moments are this memorable, nor do they have to be. But they're all equally real. You're having a present moment right now. Now you're having another one.

Dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications with care. Flush them down the toilet or place them in a tightly covered outdoor trash container so kids and pets can't get them.

The health problems caused by clutter aren't just physical. In 1996, psychologists defined compulsive hoarding syndrome as a psychological disorder. In homes with severe cluttering, the residents nearly always suffer from anxiety or depression or both.

Observe the things your mind is telling you, without immediately obeying its commands or spending time arguing with it. ?Recognize when your mind is viewing the world as a darker, scarier place than it really is. ?Stop confusing the memories attached to your household items with the items themselves. ?Stop envisioning catastrophe in your future. ?Celebrate your successes rather than focusing on your shortcomings.

When you can't let your stuff go, your stuff won't let you move forward.

The powers that be don't necessarily view you as a citizen, a voter, or a person. You're a consumer. You're someone who buys products, then consumes them. After you eat it, use it up, or wear it out, you buy more.

perfect is the enemy of good.

A gift should be something freely given that enhances your life and reminds you lovingly of the giver. If it's not, you simply should not give it a place in your home.

You think a thing has more value simply because it belongs to you. Experts called behavioral economists have noted an issue they call the endowment effect, Dr. Tolin says. Merely owning an item causes you to exaggerate its value, or "endow" it with more worth.

We tend to connect our memories of the important moments in our lives, the places where we lived, and the people we loved to objects. Seeing these things allows us to replay and refresh those memories.

There are a few downsides to attaching memories to possessions. Often people feel that if they part with an object, they'll lose the memory attached to it, along with a special moment in their life. Or that a person now only living on in their memory would be forgotten completely and disappear forever.

Our homes become like photo albums of the past. But these "photos" aren't images that take up little space in a photo album or zero physical space on a computer. They're items of furniture and wood carvings and cars and blankets and clothes. These memory objects can take up lots of room in your home. This is space you can't fill with useful, functional items or new memory-associated items.

The things you own should help you create the home and the life you want. The key to enjoying happiness and good health in a warm, welcoming home is to live in the present moment surrounded by items that you cherish and that have meaning for you and your family

The most effective nos are the least complicated. The more details you supply, the more likely the other person will challenge you or try to change your mind.

daydreaming?

These cluttered surfaces become a highly visible contributor to household messiness. That creates two problems: ?When these areas are cluttered, your home is cluttered. ?When items pile up on these spaces, you can't use them for their intended purpose. So a fundamental rule in home organization is that you have to keep flat surfaces clear and uncluttered. This will immediately create a more open and welcoming space.

Your first step in decluttering them is to ask yourself "How do I want these horizontal surfaces to make my life easier?" (Rather than "What do I want to put here?")

One goal of the Let It Go way of downsizing is for you to surround yourself with only a manageable number of possessions that you cherish and treasure, which trigger good emotional responses, like joy, relaxation, focus, and motivation.

By dealing with malignant clutter, you remove hurdles that are keeping you from your best life.

Too often people fear their mortality, rather than feeling reassurance about the opportunities they have during their remaining lifespan. They don't fill their remaining time with experiences and human connections, because they're dwelling on the portion that's already spent.

The present moment is when everything in your life happens. It's the only real time you ever have. But we miss too many of these moments