H
ere's the rewritten text, condensed by 20%:
As I sit down to write this letter, I'm reminded of why it's been a tricky one for me. I rent an apartment and have never navigated the process of buying or renovating a home. My expertise comes from binge-watching "House Hunters" and daydreaming about interior design as a kid – not exactly a solid foundation.
Instead of delving into literal real estate, I want to explore the metaphorical kind: What's on your mental lease? Think of this as an extension of my previous letter on hobbies that help me stay grounded. This time, it's more abstract and stream-of-consciousness.
We know that physical spaces should be clutter-free and well-maintained. The same applies to our minds. Yet, I'm a chronic doomscroller, consuming unnecessary content and getting bogged down by rumination. It's easy to mentally hoard things that don't serve us – background noise, worry, guilt, or that one email we still haven't answered.
The KonMari Method comes to mind: only keep what sparks joy and thank the rest as you let it go. While this isn't always possible with our thoughts, maybe we can approach them differently. Think of those thoughts as tenants: acknowledge them, give notice when necessary, and evict them when the time is right.
We can also compartmentalize the things that need to stay a little longer, giving them their own space instead of letting them take over our entire mental landscape. This way, we preserve valuable mental square footage for what truly brings us joy – creativity, peace, and connection with others.
Real estate, whether literal or not, is about how we choose to use the spaces we're given. While this issue focuses on physical spaces, I hope my letter invites you to consider your internal landscape: what's worth making room for, and what might be time to release?
