Lancing Out The Pus

I'm a bit of a packrat, a hoarder, especially of books (surprise!). Clutter is the order of the day for any area I inhabit. It's out of fear. Fear that if I throw something out it'll be worth something someday, or I'll need it, or I'll never be able to find another like it, or if I throw it away it won't be saved so it can help humanity reconstruct after Armageddon, or that if I get rid of it I'll lose forever whatever wisdom that particular collection of words and sentences can impart and be the worse for it, or... I could go on and on and on.

It ]the fear] is like a tumor or abscess or some other growth, metastasizing, diverting resources (namely time and money) away from "healthy" tissue to itself. But over the past few months, I've been forcing myself to start "draining" the abscess by thinning things out, putting things where they should be, actually throwing stuff out or giving it away, including books. I have to say, it feels good. I have to keep going slow, however, due to laziness and the habit of my anxieties to kick in when major change occurs suddenly. But I intend to keep on until I'm as close to a state of minimalism, mentally and materially, as I am constitutionally capable of. Because breathing the clear air of freedom from fear is exhilarating and spiritually positive and it's what I need in my life.