I help women simplify their homes, habits, and businesses so they can stop managing the chaos and start leading with organization, ease, and follow-through. Join my weekly newsletter packed with tips to simplify your home, business, and life. Sign up here!
I almost canceled this interview
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Hey Reader, I had a really hard time with this podcast interview. The morning of the recording, I seriously considered canceling. I wasn’t sure I was ready to talk about it. Or even if I should be. If you've been reading my work for a while, then you know that last year, we lost both of my in-laws in a span of less than 3 months. But years earlier, my husband and I had helped them downsize from their 3,400-square-foot home to a 1,200-square-foot apartment in assisted living. At the time, it just felt practical. Necessary. A lot of work, but a labor of love. What I didn’t realize then was how much of a gift that season would become. When they passed, clearing their home took just four days — not months. Not because it was easy. I shared this story on the Wannabe Clutter Free podcast because I know this message will help so many people. Maybe you. ➡️ If you have aging parents and can see that the stuff in their home is slowing them down… This episode is for you. One of the things we talked about is how the items people treasure most are rarely the “valuable” ones.
It’s the story that matters. The phrase I hear all the time is, “I’ll let my kids deal with it.” I understand it. But when we leave everything behind, we’re asking our children to make decisions while grieving. We’re asking them to guess what mattered to us. That’s a heavy ask. I think it's an unfair one, too. If you listen, I’d love to know what resonates with you. And as always, I’m here to listen, talk, or share advice if you’re navigating this season with your own family. Just hit reply and tell me what's on your mind. You can listen to Episode 298 here: [Make Downsizing Easier: Helping Your Parents Transition Smoothly with Amy Slenker-Smith] Until next time, Amy |
Amy Slenker-Smith, Simply Enough
I help women simplify their homes, habits, and businesses so they can stop managing the chaos and start leading with organization, ease, and follow-through. Join my weekly newsletter packed with tips to simplify your home, business, and life. Sign up here!
Hey Reader, I want to tell you about a client I'm working with right now. Let's call her Kathy. Kathy is a recent empty nester with a beautiful home, four incredibly successful kids, and a clutter problem she's been carrying for years. She found me through Joshua Becker's community. She knew she wanted less. She just couldn't seem to get there on her own. Sound familiar? A few weeks in, I have to say, she is one of the most fun clients I've ever worked with. The breakthroughs are coming fast....
Hey Reader, I got a reply to last week's email that surprised me a little. "Stop with your stupid advice." That was the message. I smiled. And then I hit delete and unsubscribed the reader from my list. Because here's the thing: a few years ago, that one reply would have undone me. I spent twenty years in corporate, and somewhere along the way, I developed a habit of fixating on the one thing I wasn't doing right. One piece of critical feedback in a sea of positive ones, and that was the...
Hey Reader, A few weeks ago, I gave a talk called Less Stuff, More God at my church. It was one of the most meaningful nights I’ve had on a stage in a long time. And even if church isn’t your thing, I think you’ll relate to everything that comes next. The emails started coming in the next day. One stopped me completely. A reader wrote to tell me about her widowed parent. The house is full and overwhelming. Walkways are narrow. And as her mom's steadiness has declined, the stuff has quietly...