It was time. I took a deep breath and opened the closet door. Janet, you can do this!
And so, the great PURGE of 2025 began.
Stay with me on this. It’s not just about my closet but my thinking.
Over the years, I purchased items that were a good fit and appeared to be a good look. At the time, they may have been, but those days were gone, long gone.
As the calendar gets me closer to my 70th birthday, I have come to realize a few things. According to Google, 65 is considered elderly. I say poppycock! I can still kick up my heels. Granted, I do it from a sitting position, but I can do it! I refuse to sit and allow old age to creep in. I’ll fight against allowing age to define me, just as a Kung Fu fighter fights an opponent. It may not be pretty, but it will be entertaining.
I hold up a piece of clothing and think, “Does this make me look old? Does this make me look like I’m trying to look young?” Those questions start the purging.”
Then I remember something I read a few days earlier. When purging, ask yourself: would I buy this now if it were hanging on a rack in the store? Lightbulb moment! Let the tossing begin.
Nope. Toss. Nope Toss. Soon, my bed looked like a Kohl’s dressing room on Black Friday.
I had a few moments of, “What was I thinking when I bought this?”
It truly was the Great Purge of my closet. But I wasn’t finished.
I realized that for the last few months, I have been purging negative thoughts from my mind. Thoughts that bullied me and kept me from thinking my best. The negative thoughts were not only ugly but also weighed me down. My mind had gained the weight of negative thinking.
I took on what I thought others thought about me. My mind had gained the weight of caring about what others thought.
I was buying into the thought that I had to continue trying to please those who could not be pleased. Seriously, Janet.
Photo provided by Janet Hart Leonard
My caring had cost me many sleepless nights, and the only thing I had to show for it was anxiety. (I could camouflage that with a smile.) I had hung on to caring for so long that I didn’t recognize the damage it was doing. Before you think I will not be caring, you need to understand I will weigh my caring on a mental health scale. Being kind to myself is not a bad thing. It has taken a long time to figure that out.
My mental purge has been so rewarding. I am sleeping much better. I am smiling more, without hiding my anxiety. I am finding more space in my head for the people who matter the most to me.
I’m no longer carrying the weight of the opinion of others in my mind. Picture me doing a little happy day cha-cha dance.
My closet is now organized and manageable, and I might have found a few items I forgot I had in there.
So now you know my story of the Great Purge of 2025. Will I repurchase certain styles? Will I carry the opinion of others in my mind? I have a simple, uncluttered answer … No. Purging feels so good.
Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). Visit janethartleonard.com.