Marie Kondo vs. The Desi Need To Keep Holding On To Things

Marie Kondo is here to help Desi’s conquer their tendency to hoard. With an abundance of heirlooms passed through generations you get stuck with miscellaneous tchotchkes – Tchotchkes that don’t have a designated place in your life but, you can’t bear the thought of ever parting with them.

That’s not all. Oh no, dear friend. Add in your own personal “collectibles” and you get to have the pleasure of owning random stuff that you’re probably never going to realistically EVER use. The ultimate desi struggle is thus, deciding what gets kept and what gets tossed. That’s where sensei Marie Kondo comes in.

Who Is Marie Kondo?

Over the past few months Marie Kondo has become a household name all over the world. Marie, also popularly known as ‘konmari’, is a 34 year old Japanese organizing consultant and a bestselling author. Much of her fame has been garnered by the self-help books she has written, ‘Spark Joy (2012)’ and ‘The Life-changing Magic Of Tidying Up (2015)’. Recently, she starred in her own Netflix show called ‘Tidying Up With Marie Kondo’. With her ever-so-soothing voice and polite demeanor (that only the Japanese can ever truly master), she nudges the guests on her show to live their lives more meaningfully and clutter-free. 

The Solution To The Ultimate Desi Struggle 

When my family recently decided to relocate, I got stuck with packing away all the things into boxes. When you have to individually pick up every single item you own and pack it away, you begin to realize that a lot of these items no longer serve a purpose in your life. They fail to bring you JOY anymore… For example, the LEGO collection I still own from when I was six, could potentially bring more joy to a child than it does sitting in the store, collecting dust. Moreover, the clothes I owned ten years ago and no longer wear, could help fulfill someone’s clothing needs.

After getting acquainted with Marie’s techniques to start the de-cluttering process, I’ve started noticing things in my life that usually get blurred in the background. 

Let’s be honest, we all have a shelf (or a room) full of things that we believe we might need in the future. You know what I’m talking about. The various empty glass jars and containers you’ve kept all this time to store an assortment of your hair oils and chutneys…

Hey, I’m not shaming your weird habits but, let’s be real. When are you EVER going to use 10+ glass jars and 20+ plastic containers in your life? And if you’re anything like me, you also probably have a designated drawer full of “comfy” socks. Just in case all of your other socks are dirty and there’s a “sock emergency”.

Ever since I’ve started paying attention to what’s getting piled up in my life and around me, I’ve effectively gone ahead and resolved it.

I now perform a monthly regimen of going through each of the five categories outlined by Marie Kondo. I either donate things that I don’t need anymore or find a way to re-purpose them. Not only am I reducing my carbon footprint, I’m also helping someone in need. It’s a win-win situation no matter whichever way you look at it.

Finding A Healthy Middle Ground

There are a lot of misconceptions people have about Marie Kondo’s methods. They paint her as someone who’s asking them to throw away all of their possessions and live their lives out of a capsule wardrobe and only have a single, bare mattress in their room.

There was even a preposterous notion that Marie Kondo was asking bibliophiles to only keep a total of thirty books on their shelves (!). That’s definitely NOT the case.

While Marie does promote a minimalist lifestyle, she’s also BIG on sentimentality and usefulness of an item. That’s why things that hold a special place in your heart get sorted last and you’re allowed to keep all of them if you want. That includes your massive collection of books as well. 

Marie’s philosophy is not only effective but, it also places great importance on ‘being mindful, introspective and forward-looking’ – things that we all need to practice more in our lives.

What that means, is that you’re only getting rid of things that no longer serve a purpose in your life and are preventing you from expanding your horizons. You’re only choosing to keep things that bring you JOY.

Marie Kondo Is Revolutionizing The Way We Live

Marie Kondo isn’t the sensei we WANT, but the sensei we NEED. With her quirky personality she has turned organizing into a modern-day art form. It’s nothing short of witnessing some 21st century witchcraft.

With her revolutionary methods she has transformed the way people recycle and organize their lives. Not only is the decluttering physical, it’s also digital and emotional. You’re encouraged to let go of things that no longer bring you joy.

Her website describes the process as ‘….encouraging tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go.”

Where Can I Watch Marie Kondo Practice Her Life-changing Magic?

You can now watch Marie’s revolutionary show, ‘Tidying Up With Marie Kondo’, on Netflix. There are a total of eight episodes in Season 1 so you can binge watch them all if you feel upto it. 

Netflix has yet to announce if the show will be picked up for another season but, seeing the popularity it has already gained it will come as no surprise if it becomes a regular, yearly series on the platform.