A quick word about what sparks joy

I wanted to tell you a quick personal story about finding what sparks joy. I like to bookmark items that I’m thinking about buying so that I can think it over or wait for a sale. When one such company had a sale not too long ago, I seized the occasion and bought two items I’d been eyeing, a long-sleeved blouse and a summer dress.

I received the items and tried them on that evening. When I put on the long-sleeved blouse, I wanted to like it. I liked the fabric and the color, I had loved how it looked on the model, and I wanted to look like that. I guess I was trying to talk myself into loving it, even though it wasn’t as I had pictured it... I decided to set it aside on my clothes chair and sleep on it before removing the tags.

Then I tried on the summer dress. As soon as I put it on, I was smiling like crazy! I love that dress, I feel great in it, and I really think it looks good on me. Plus, it has pockets! I was twirling in front of the mirror and imagining myself wearing it when it got a little warmer. I cut off the tags right away.

The next morning, as I was getting dressed for the day, I put on some pants, put on the blouse, and looked at myself in the mirror. That’s when it hit me – this blouse really didn’t spark joy! The shoulders were too broad, the sleeves were too puffy, and I felt like I was wearing a clown shirt. That blouse just wasn’t me. I still love the idea of it, but in real life on my own body, it wasn’t happening. Returning it was clearly the right decision.

You see, my gut had told me this already. I wasn’t feeling it when I put it on, but I tried to talk myself into liking it on me, for various reasons that sounded right, but with little regard for all the hesitation I felt. Whereas with the dress, I immediately felt lighter, and there was no doubt whatsoever that it was right for me. So, this is your sign to trust your gut about what sparks joy! I want you to feel that good about all your clothes, and to let go of the rest with gratitude.

Bonus tip: I try to stick to the one-in-one-out rule as much as possible. It can be hard to decide which items to let go of to make room for new ones, so here’s a tip. Try on the ones that you haven’t worn in a long time. In this case, I tried on a few dresses that I hadn't worn at all last summer – I mean, there was dust on the hangers, okay? And I sure loved those dresses, because they had made me very happy when I got them, and I once loved wearing them. But when I tried them on again that day, I had to admit that there were two of them that just weren’t doing it for me anymore. The fit was wrong, or there was something else I just didn’t like about them.

Now listen, I don’t know if they were always that way and I either didn’t see it or didn’t care, or maybe it’s my taste or my body that have changed. It doesn’t matter. In that moment, when I wore them again, I realized it was time to let them go. So don’t hesitate to try on clothes that you think you love if it’s been a while since you last wore them – you might realize that your feelings about them have changed! I ended up getting rid of two dresses that day to make room for the new dress.