I always knew I was a hoarder, but I never knew how bad I was until my week-long summer cleaning project. Included in the boxes are dusty cobwebs, unused glow-in-the-dark sticks, pacifiers, thousands of writing utensils, kiddy tattoos, and so much more. Every organized drawer emptied out bags of trash and clothes. The hallway outside my room is lined with unfashionable clothing and countless bags of toys.

As I was cleaning out, I thought about the reason why I was in such a predicament. After all, the stuff that I kept wasn't useful. Even the playing cards, although useful, stayed in the drawer for many years before I finally found it. Eventually, I realized the reason I was hoarding was that I didn't believe that I would have more tomorrow. If I gave this toy to my friend, then I wouldn't have the potential to play with it. Hoarding is an expression of fear... fear of the future. Therefore, in order to make sure I have the ability to handle different situations, I stuffed my drawers and filled my closets.

My lifestyle is different now as compared to a year ago. Before I went to college, I valued collecting as many things as possible. Now, I value utility and efficiency. For example, pencils are important. Five-hundred unused pencils will outlive me. Perhaps I don't need that many. It amazed me to see how T-shirts took their own cabinet.

In the end, was hoarding worth it? Yes. I enjoyed the trip down memory lane. No. Hoarding makes organization difficult and consequently takes more time during summer clean outs.

I challenge you to think about your own habits and examine the reason behind the habit. Do your actions align with your values? Perhaps you could even be like me and treasure different values this summer.