Testimonial: Dan

Depuis mon enfance, j’ai adoré garder des choses. Je conservais des bibelots, des jouets, de vieux bandes dessinées que je n’ai jamais lues, et des papiers d’école que je n’avais aucun désir de revoir. Peut-être plus significativement, j’avais une quantité énorme de vêtements et cela a perduré jusqu’à l’âge adulte.

At one point, I owned over 150 t-shirts.. These were t-shirts I had accumulated from concerts, fundraisers, races, sports team jerseys, places I had visited... the categories seemed endless. The t-shirts provided me comfort through memories—cherished memories of people, times, causes, and places that mattered to me and still do. But the t-shirts also caused me stress because there were so many of them. Every day, I felt anxiety when I had to choose one to wear. Their sheer magnitude and volume had become an energy drain for me.

Working with Yuri, the first thing I learned was that I had too many t-shirts for myself. She asked me to place them all in the middle of my bed, and even at this first step, I saw t-shirts I didn’t even know I had! It was because they had been stacked on top of each other in piles, and I couldn’t see the t-shirts that were underneath. I wanted to say goodbye to some of these t-shirts so that they could bring joy and happiness to others, and to simplify my closet and my life.. So, I had to make difficult choices about which ones to keep and which ones to thank and let go.

The second lesson that Yuri helped me identify and understand is that even though the t-shirts remind me of good things, « not all t-shirts are created equal. »She instructed me to first choose my absolute favorite t-shirt and reflect on how it made me feel. She asked me to think about the person who gave me the t-shirt and all the memories and feelings it evoked. With this framework, I was able to go through the dozens of t-shirts one by one, considering the level of joy they currently bring to my life and keeping only the best of the best.

Finally, Yuri showed me a new way to fold and organize my t-shirts so I could see them all the time—so when I chose a t-shirt in the morning, I had all the options looking at me from an open box, with their logos, designs, or solid colors easily visible and accessible. It blew my mind that another way of doing things was possible, and I continue to fold and organize my t-shirts this way.

The t-shirts continue to tell stories for me and about me. They are stories and memories essential to my life, but I find it easier to say goodbye to items now that don’t bring me that feeling of happiness when I wear them. I can say with complete confidence thatthere is both choice and joy behind the t-shirts I wear nowAnd I have to thank Yuri for this new approach.

I can’t recommend Yuri highly enough. Through her kindness, intentional approach, attention, and patience, she transformed me as well as my relationship with things and organization.. I live with more calm and intention, and I am much more aware of the items I welcome into my life.

Thank you very much, Yuri!