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Simply..magic? Well yes....

23/11/2014

13 Comments

 
I am enjoying Marie Kondo's book The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying.

Am I the only one who finds it funny I wonder?

She makes me laugh when she says thing like Thank you very much for your hard work to her shoes when she puts them away....and makes me smile again when I try it and laugh when I find it works! (It's a gratitude practice really.)

She describes herself as obsessive and a bit neurotic at times, and she surely is, but there are some very interesting ideas in this book (as well as a little nonsense which is perhaps tongue in cheek....as when she is very strict with her clients).

I do find myself underlining bits and folding down corners of pages.

Here are some of the passages I found thought provoking and useful

The whole point in both discarding and keeping things is to be happy. It may seem obvious but it is important to experience this realisation for yourself and let it sink in to your heart. Before you start tidying , look at the lifestyle you aspire to and ask yourself 'Why do I want to tidy?' When you find the answer, you are ready to move onto the next step: examining what you own.

She has some useful ideas about how to think through, in some detail, what you want.

I see the point of handling each thing to 'see if it sparks joy' as she rather oddly puts it, and agree that in doing so you are processing your past, enabling you to move forward. This has been quite powerful for me, and freeing.

Just because you throw something away (or give something away) does not mean you give up past experiences or your identity.

Is anyone else using this book?

And is anyone else laughing?
13 Comments
Grace
23/11/2014 04:16:10 pm

I agree, it's a mixture of useful advice and inspiration and amusement. I'd recommend it on both counts!

Reply
Freda
23/11/2014 10:35:03 pm

It's a keeper I think, for me anyway.

Reply
Swissrose link
23/11/2014 04:27:47 pm

Yes, I did smile while reading - I was very conscious of the fact that it had been translated from Japanese and that MK has a very different mentality and comes from a very different culture. Apparently she was a "shrine girl" for several years...
It actually reads quite differently in German!

Reply
Freda
23/11/2014 10:36:20 pm

Lucille may be able to enlighten us a little about translation and cultural differences. They do add to the interest for me too.

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Lucille link
23/11/2014 05:55:55 pm

Yes it often makes me smile. I am interested to learn from my Japanese studying son that there are several different meanings for tidying in Japanese, and that our/my rather cursory notion of plumping cushions, straightening and putting a few things away, doesn't come near what she actually means.

Reply
Freda
23/11/2014 10:37:02 pm

Hope you will tell us more?

Reply
Simple happy link
23/11/2014 06:18:33 pm

I haven't read the book, I've been thinking about ordering it, wondering if I really need another book like this, but the passage you're quoting convinced me that it might just be worthy. I also find quite amusing these kind of books, but there's usually some passage or point that speaks to me. My life was never the same after reading "The house that cleans itself", and I never forget the principle that you have to adapt to you and not you to your house, you should make the house work for you. Sorry for the too long post :)

Reply
Freda
23/11/2014 10:39:29 pm

Not too long! There's all the room you need here - unlimited, unlike our houses!! (I had a light bulb moment with Fly Lady and housework has been a doddle since....)

Reply
cath
24/11/2014 12:28:47 am

The importance of 'handling' things is so true for me too. When my father - four years after my mother, passed away - we had to clear the house. I needed to do that at my own pace. Many things went into boxes (and storage). Over time box after box was opened and taken care of. It still feels good I chose to do it this way.
It sounds like a great book.

Reply
Freda
24/11/2014 06:15:48 am

..and that sounds like a very lovely process - at your own pace and in your own way.

Reply
Madeleine
24/11/2014 06:13:24 am

Oh! Now I'm looking forward to the arrival of the book even more!

Whilst it does seem odd (in our culture) to thank your shoes, I think the practice of gratitude is really lovely, and life-changing. Imagine if we didn't have shoes to allow us to walk where we needed to go? Or clean water at the turn of a tap? We are so lucky in comparison to so many. I have to admit that most mornings I express gratitude for my deliciously comfy bed when I wake up!

Madeleine.x

Reply
Freda
24/11/2014 06:23:04 am

It is good to remember how fortunate we are, isn't it! Perhaps reminding ourselves by thanking our things makes us less likely to want more? I do hope you like the book - let me know!

Reply
Northmoon
27/11/2014 12:23:46 am

I just got this book and find her quite charming. I like her instructions to handle every item, it does seem to make a difference. I've got a long way to go but progress is being made.

Reply



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