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From the scrap metal left behind by useless kitchenware, piles of clothes that are never worn, that old couch that’s taking up space in the backyard, to the old junk car in the garage that you haven’t touched in years, having stuff that you no longer need or use is bizarrely stressful. Clothes that are never worn, that old couch that’s taking up space in the backyard, to the old junk car in the garage that you haven’t touched in years, having stuff that you no longer need or use is bizarrely stressful. The most obvious options include Craigslist for larger items like furniture or selling old cars for cash, eBay to sell your gadgets, Amazon will buy old electronics, Gazelle to sell your devices, and ThredUp or Tradesy for clothes. You can also take advantage of resale sites or apps that will pay you upfront for your stuff; for instance, use Powell’s to sell books.

And that is where the practice of thankfulness is seen best; she encourages everyone to acknowledge the object’s purpose, say thank you, and kindly let go. When I imagine my ideal life, I typically look toward situations I have complete control over, ignoring the fact that my relationships do fall under that category. When I look around my house, I see the imprints of people who have come and gone from my life like looming shadows. Rather than jump from person to person or spend an entire day purging your phone contact list, start with smaller, less intimate circles and make your way up confronting more deep-rooted relationships.

We’re told that we can be anything we want to be, yet we’re also steered towards endeavors that are safe and practical, regardless of whether we’re good at them or not. Because of overstimulation from the digital world, we feel like if we don’t have it all right now like other people, we will never get our shit together. I thought my life would unfold like a series of perfect linear equations as long as I showed up as the correct variable in the right formula at the right time. Trying to prove someone wrong will only set you back and make you so fixated on what you’re lacking that you won’t appreciate the imperfect yet beautiful and unique life in front of you.

My college expectations were clouded with illusions of daily coffee house trips, elite internships, oversized sweaters and perfectly timed rainfall, and writing assignments that almost always led to work I would publish later on. I felt like I didn’t belong, as I rushed at the last minute to finish writing and pull all-nighters to produce work I never wanted to look at again. And in order to change, I needed to create a space that felt, not like home, but like my new creative hideaway. I know for many creatives, college just isn’t the right path for them.