I know it’s been a while since I’ve written a note on here.
This year, my life has undergone some major changes. 2017 has grown me, shifted me, and evolved me. So much has been happening behind the scenes and I can’t wait to reveal some of the things I have in store for you.
But, before I do, there is something important that I want to say…
I’m a New Yorker now!
Today makes it a week since I made the official move to New York City.
Yes, I moved back to the East Coast. Yes, this is really happening and yes, I’ve started over, once again.
While pursuing my goals and dreams, I’ve moved so many times that you’d think I could do this with my eyes closed.  But what made this time so different from the other cross-country and state-to-state moves I’ve made in the past, is that I decided to forgo any sort of relocation services. This time, I got rid of almost everything I owned.
The decision to downsize was influenced by a call I received from a very successful friend while I was looking for the most inexpensive option for a mover. She revealed to me that she was losing her passion in life and in her career and she felt stagnant.
My friend wanted to move across the country but, to her surprise, a relocation service gave her a quote of almost $20,000, which immediately shattered her plans to uproot and leave. The accumulation of clothes, high-end furniture, her office equipment, and her car would cost her tens of thousands of dollars to take with her.
For months, she put off moving and existed in a space of unhappiness in her career and life.
After we hung up, I was reminded that we can easily become enslaved by the accumulation of material things that have no real value in our lives. The book The Happiness Project, as well as the documentary, The Minimalist, teaches us the concept of decluttering. It has been proven that living with less and having fewer possessions improves the quality of our lives tremendously.
So, why do we hold on to these things?
After taking inventory of the various items I was attempting to drag across the country with me, I realized that wasn’t the best move. There were a bunch of things I had accumulated through my different moves over the last few years that had no real value to me.
The furniture and appliances could be replaced.
The books donated.
Most of the bags, shoes, and clothes that I owned were collecting dust and represented the person I used to be.
But I wasn’t that woman anymore.
It was in that moment that I remembered a quote I heard Devi Brown mention, “A snake that cannot shed its skin will perish,” and it clicked for me.
If I truly wanted to start a new chapter, I’d have to shed myself of my old skin and everything that no longer served me.
That would include friendships, relationships, and material things. When one of your goals in life is to climb the mountain of success, the higher the climb, the heavier the burden of useless things will weigh on you.
It’s almost impossible to grow without eliminating.
I had to get rid of it all.
Over a two-week period, I sold all of my furniture,  donated the bulk of my clothes and appliances to homeless shelters, and I dropped my car off to Carmax where they wrote me a check on the spot.  Getting rid of my car was probably the hardest decision to make because it was on my vision board for a long time before I purchased it as a Christmas gift to myself in 2012. But I’m a true believer and a testament that what you are willing to give up and sacrifice for your dreams will eventually be restored tenfold.  I had no use for it in New York or in the new part of my journey.
On Tuesday, July 18, I showed up at JFK with suitcases filled with everything else I owned. The only things I felt I truly needed.

 

I gave some of my books to one of my Instagram followers who just moved to Arizona.


I felt light.
I felt free.
Even a week later, I realize now that I don’t miss any of the things that I gave up.
I am telling this story because I wanted to connect with others who might be on a similar path, caught in the middle with a similar conundrum. If you are at a place in life where you feel stuck, uncomfortable, or the energy in your home just does not feel right, consider doing a purge.
Purging means getting rid of anything that has outlived its purpose in your life and is no longer in alignment with your current path.
This could be a closet clean out, clearing out storage spaces, and it can even mean ending relationships and friendships that hinder you more than they serve you.
You’ll find that once you declutter, purge and let go of things that don’t align with where you want to go and who you want to be, life will begin to open up and change for the better.
When is the last time you’ve done a life purge? 
 
Let me know in the comments. Also catch up with me on Instagram or Twitter.
Related Post: How I Plan To Navigate Living In New York Differently
P.S. There are just 5 rooms left for the Glow Up Wellness Retreat in October.  If you are in need of a relaxing and exhilarating weekend surrounded by empowering women, click here to find out how you can join us!