Why is it hard to get rid of stuff? And why do "what if's..." always bum me out?

I know things are just things and that less clutter means less stress, but choosing to toss toys, old Christmas ornaments and outgrown beds is so painful. Maybe this process isn't painful for everyone, but for me it feels like letting go of past memories and disappointed dreams. 

My husband and I want a new adventure for our family. Living in Idaho was never a permanent plan. In the beginning, we thought it would just be for two years. Now nine years later, we are still here!

We have mixed feelings about Idaho - the summers are great, the winters are awful; the quiet neighborhoods are safe, the town is boring; the LDS community is family friendly, the LDS community feels too constricting; large yards are so fun, large yards are too much work; people here are great, people here aren't our family. The list goes on and on. 

We don't know what we will do, but it is time to start preparing to leave. And since Scott and I are both packrats, there is a big need to declutter our house before we even think about packing to move. 

I've read tons of organization books and I know the theories, but that doesn't change how hard the decluttering process is for me. So much of myself, my disappointed hopes and plans are wrapped up in saying goodbye to stuff I won't need much longer - whether that is baby and toddler items because I am done having children, or all the miscellaneous camping, sporting and holiday boxes filling my garage and basement because - we can't move it all when we leave. 

Today while I was sorting through a zillion toys, I started to feel pretty down. What if my kids resent me for tossing toys they secretly had an attachment too? Isn't this sad that they have grown out of playing with this? What if leaving this place is a mistake? What if..? What if...? What if....?

"What if's" are my kryptonite. Those "What if's" squish me down faster than anything else. To fight them off, I've had to repeatedly tell myself a few things: 

• Memories are more precious than things
• New adventures and memories await = the best is yet to come
• My family is perfect just the way it is
• I get to choose my path
• Live in the present and enjoy today

It helps. So does just moving forward, even when I don't know the answer to any of my "what if's".