It may seem like an odd question, but really, how much do you think it weighs? You could go room by room, or floor by floor. Just walk around and think about it.

Maybe I should clarify a bit…how about thinking of it this way…how much weight does your house add to your shoulders? How much weight are you carrying by yourself? How much weight is your family carrying? How much heavy lifting are you doing just to get through the week?

Does your house lift you up or weigh you down?

If your house is weighing you down, why do you think that is? Is it dated décor? Is it the unknowns, hidden in the walls? Is it your furniture? Is it all your stuff?

All this weight contributes to how much we either neglect the house, or how much we nurture the house.

Think about a puppy let’s say. You want to nurture the puppy, so you lovingly feed it, maybe give it a treat or two here and there. Maybe you buy it new things like toys, or coats. You probably name it. You spend so much time playing and training with the puppy and spend money on the upkeep, maintenance and luxury for the puppy. You don’t really think twice about it, I mean it’s a cute puppy, what really is the cost of a snuggle or an extra walk, or a new toy. It’s for love, right?

What if we thought of our homes like little puppies?

What if we loved and nurtured our houses. Ok, so you got me, the scale is a bit different. It’s easier to justify 10$ on a new toy for a puppy, rather than hundreds to thousands of dollars on new things for the house or maintenance and repairs. But, in the end, all those little nurturing things go a long way! They can add a sense of pride to the way you feel about the house. At the end of the day, I know it is just a house, but if you think about it in terms of loving the house then you may find yourself naturally caring for it differently.

Neglecting the house leads to potential future, costly problems. Neglecting chores leads to mess. Neglecting your belongings leads to clutter. But turning it around, and thinking of it in terms of nurturing your house instead, can lift a lot of that heavy weight! You may need to pay some money on an ongoing basis for maintenance, but it may avoid a huge one time fee here and there down the road. Nurturing the chores, may mean a bit more time and focus on cleaning, or getting everyone in the house on board for helping a bit more. But, the house will be clean and fresh smelling. Nurturing the belongings may lead to better care of our stuff, and less need to replace items. It will probably lead to less clutter, and more enjoyment from the belongings themselves.

You choose how much weight you carry around. It’s hard to constantly nurture the house, but it’s also hard to deal with the cost of neglect. Both in time and money!

Lighten your load, by nurturing not neglecting.

Thanks for coming home!