Without mincing words, I used to hoard items a lot, and to a certain extent, I’m still fond of that because there are things I find difficult to let go of due to the emotional attachment I have to them. However, this habit of hoarding has reduced significantly when I found joy in giving, which was triggered by simplifying my possessions, creating space, and reducing anxiety, especially when it comes to choosing what to wear or use at a particular time.
I wasn’t initially into giving away clothes. I used to keep them, even the ones that no longer fit me, because I often thought it was wrong to give out my already used clothes, fearing the person wouldn’t appreciate them. But this mindset changed when one day, I decided to bring out the clothes I wasn’t using.
I picked out three pairs of jeans trousers, which hadn’t faded too much at the knees, washed them, and located a boy in my street who was almost the same height as me. I gave them to him, telling him that if they didn’t fit, he should take them to a tailor for adjustments. He appreciated my gesture so much, but I initially thought his gratitude was fake and that he would likely discard the clothes. However, the following week, I spotted him wearing one of the jeans trousers, and my heart was filled with joy. I didn’t get to ask him whether he had them altered or not, but they fit him well, and I realized how foolish I had been for using clothes as rags instead of giving them away.
Yes, that’s what I used to do, once I got tired or felt lazy about washing the rags I normally used, I would go to the bag where I kept clothes I hadn’t worn in a while, pick one, and turn it into a rag. That day, my mentality changed, and the practice of turning clothes into rags was reduced.
There’s a special joy that comes with giving and seeing the recipient use the gifted items. Because I wanted to experience more of this joy, I decided not to settle for giving away clothes that were on the verge of becoming rags, as I had done before. I began to give away clothes that I was simply tired of using, not because they were bad, but because I no longer felt like wearing them, and they were occupying space and giving me a headache whenever I searched for something to wear.
The last item I gave away was an outfit we used in my school two years ago for a party. It was a native outfit, made of very fine material, and was beautifully tailored and designed. After the event, I wore it no more than four times, and that was after my graduation. After that, it just hung in my wardrobe, unused. In March of this year (2024), I came across it again and decided to give it away before my mind picked it as the next item to be turned into a rag.
It’s not only in clothes that I’ve changed my ways; I’ve been clearing out my shoe space as well. I’m the type that, once I get a new pair of shoes, the previous ones I was using start to look old in my eyes, and nothing can change my mind about that. The worst thing is that shoes can’t be turned into rags like clothes, so when I discovered the peace and joy that comes from clearing up via giving, I embraced it wholeheartedly.
Thanks!
