[I will add to this later]

Every now and then I spring-clean my life, de-clutter it.  Recently I've been through such a phase: some of it has had to stay (some things are constants in life), some of it could be stored away for future use, but some of it could be thrown out.  Each item, therefore, has had to be assessed – should this stay, or should it go? 

Alternately, I've felt as though the boat I'm sailing in was capsizing under the weight of too much cargo and things had to be thrown overboard in order to keep it afloat. 

Either way, the boat feels better for the lighter load, my life feels lighter for being de-cluttered.  I can breathe again, spend time on those things that really count in life, and on those people who count in my life. 

The simpler life is, the better.