Maggie is a Psychology major at Tulane University. When Maggie was first asked to share her thoughts in this book, she was literally in the process of cleaning out her room and closet. She was struck by the overwhelm inherent in holding on to the tangible “stuff” that is nonessential, and knew that the emotional parallel is one that every girl could relate to.
Cleaning out our physical clutter gives an emotional release, so it’s no surprise that cleaning out our proverbial, or emotional, closets would have a similar impact. When in a period of transition, Maggie encourages girls to “only take things into the next phase of your life that are beneficial and will serve you.” This goes for the emotional and the physical.
Maggie’s decision to go to college in the south in spite of her love for New England helped her realize that it is helpful to identify who and what will help you as you move through the transitions in your life. Cleaning out our closets is an opportunity to discriminate between what you want to bring with you versus what you want to leave behind.
To do this, you’ll need to define who you are, what you know you’ll need, and then “declutter enough” to leave room for what you don’t yet know you’ll need. One example that people often “hang onto” as “emotional clutter” is relationships that no longer serve them. Lots of girls go into college holding on to boyfriends and /or friendships in a way that would stop them from opening up to new friendships and new relationships.
Her words of wisdom, as she is about to embark on another transition in her life , “ It’s easy and comforting to hang on to something that you know, but be brave. Really understand if you’re wanting this because you want it or only if you don’t want to face the initial pain of disconnection.”