Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life
Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life
“Our lives are so filled with junk from the past-from dried up tubes of glue to old grudges-that it’s a wonder we can get up in the morning,” exclaims motivator, best-selling author, columnist, and life coach Gail Blanke.
“If you want to grow, you gotta let go,” is Blanke’s mantra; and that means eliminating all the clutter-physical and emotional-that holds you back, weighs you down, or just makes you feel bad about yourself.
In THROW OUT FIFTY THINGS she takes us through each room of the house-from the attic to the garage-and even to the far reaches of our minds. Through poignant and humorous stories, she inspires us to get rid of the “life plaque” we’ve allowed to build-up there.
- That junk drawer (you know that drawer) in the kitchen? Empty it!
- Those old regrets? Throw ‘em out!
- That make-up from your “old” look? Toss it!
- That relationship that depresses you? Dump it!
Once you’ve hit fifty-you’ll be surprised how easy it is to get there-and once you’ve thrown out that too-tight belt and too-small view of yourself, you’ll be ready to step out into the clearing and into the next, and greatest, segment of your life.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Changed How I Think and Live
I saw this book in a bookstore and was drawn to its title. My grandmother is a hoarder and my mom and aunts have some of her tendencies. My cousin and I have sworn to each other that we will never become like our grandmother although sometimes we do admittedly have extra stuff. Gail helps you not just get rid of extra stuff but the emotional and psychological stuff behind the stuff. I ended up giving away things that reminded me of bad memories and it was so freeing. Then she tackles the mental clutter. Wonderful book if you actually do what she tells you to do. Her catch line is, “When you get rid of the physical clutter, you clear your mind. When you get rid of the mental clutter, you clear your soul.” Great words and a great find for anyone wanting to feel lighter and lift burdens that you didn’t know were there. Thanks!
4 Stars throw out 50 things
I liked the first part of the book because it helped me decide on how to throw out things. The second part of the book got a little preachy in that it talked about clearing your mind.
4 Stars Breaking it down
I am in the process of listening to this the second time. Some things are appropo for me and others I can skip so I am taking notes. I am not the “cluttering” type but there are times in our lives when our houses or some rooms need an ACE cleaning and clearing. This book puts things into perspective and if you are overwhelmed with your project, this breaks it down to easy steps. Especially great if you have difficulties staying focused!
5 Stars Simple and humorous
The book made me declutter my life and thus it has helped me release a lot of my stress that I get from doing something as simple as opening my drawer. Highly recommend it!
3 Stars Trite approach to self improvement
While there are some ideas and exercises that have merit, most of this book is trite. If you have read any really good self improvement books, you might want to skip this one. It’s a pale shadow compared to the likes of Beatty and Bradshaw and many, many others. Kind of a cutesy approach to clearing out the closet and the mind but not terribly useful.
Filed under: Personal Development Book Reviews