The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

I don’t find much value in this book personally. Let me be honest.

As a regular book-reader, I believe that I understand the enlightened sentiment of spending a significant amount of time every day pouring one’s effort and attention to certain things. Most of what she claimed undeniably would transform one’s life, and I respect her for sharing her transformative magic of tidying. With that respect, I read the whole book and found some spotlights, such as her attitude towards presents and sentimental things. She said that presents are not things, but a means for conveying someone’s feeling, so as soon as it serves its purpose, it is worth being discarded. This is a novel point of view!

But I am confused by a concept she repeatedly asked her client if a thing sparks joy and claimed that she could tell from one’s face whether he feels the pleasure. I hardly find how she defines the joy, or at least give an example of what the joy feels like. Someone’s emotion is not reliable at the moment of decision making as they might regret later. How can, then, someone ever discard things?... you might ask. I think he/she needs time and a clear example of how the feeling of joy feels like from his supervisor’s experience, not from his fleeting moment of pleasure.

I think the book has good advice, but it did not give me a profound and meaningful lesson. Though I started using a few, it did not persuade me to pick my ass and act immediately.