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A frustrated woman is decluttering her house.

In the never-ending quest to declutter our homes, cars, and lives, it can sometimes feel like a frustratingly impossible task. So perhaps an easier approach than "throw out everything that doesn't bring you joy" a la Marie Kondo, you could start a bit smaller.

Many interior designers, organizers, and "flow/Feng shui experts" have noted that there are some items that are easier to part with than others. It's a good place to begin and can often make the biggest impact in a space.

Renowned minimalist Joshua Becker, who runs the popular organizing blog Becoming Minimalist, shares his thoughts about the importance of living with intention. He writes, among many mantras, "We live finite lives. Be deliberate with them." With this in mind, his decluttering ideas (spread amongst quite a few YouTube videos) promise to "instantly create more space."

Among his suggestions, one is to remove empty boxes. "We all have them that we keep around just in case," Becker admits. But we likely don't need them. "Recycle them," he insists. Whether it's an old iPhone box or the box for your TV in the junk room, you're never gonna need it.

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Secondly, and this is common among many organizing tips, is to open up your kitchen and bathroom pantries and drawers and throw out anything that has expired. It's simple. Expired—toss it. Sure, maybe SOMEDAY you'll need that old Tylenol. But chances are, a newer one will get the job done better.

A third recommendation is to let go of mismatched or chipped kitchenware. This goes for Tupperware without lids, as well. Donate it and keep only what you need. Interestingly, this tip made it onto another list for a different reason. In a piece for Woman and Home, digital lifestyle writer Emily Smith suggests the angle is less about space and more about flow. The piece quotes Feng shui expert Denise O'Dwyer, who shares, "Chipped, broken, or unused plates and cups all drain your personal Qi, or energy, and obstruct the positive energy within your space."

 plates, dishware, broken plates, declutter, home A white, broken plate sitting on top of a wooden table.  Photo by Elanchezhian Narayanasamy on Unsplash  

 

In keeping with the Feng shui angle, O'Dwyer also suggests getting rid of most items that conjure up negative or painful memories. "Holding onto items associated with negative memories or unresolved emotions can keep you anchored to the past, preventing personal growth and inviting negative Qi into your space."

Another easy fix to help bring serenity to your home? Get rid of unused or broken clocks. In fact, it's considered bad luck, or at worst, tacky, to give a clock to someone in China. Shared on the beijinger blog, "Giving someone a clock can be a big mistake, as the pronunciation of clock (钟表 zhōng biǎo) is homophonic to ending, termination, or death (终 zhōng), and can be especially offensive to older people, suggesting that you are praying for their death."

 clocks, dancing clocks, time, decluttering, rudeness Clocks dancing in a film.   Giphy Warner Archive 

O'Dwyer concurs and explains that broken or unused clocks are "believed to symbolize a stagnant concept of time and hinder progress. They can create a sense of pressure, reminding us of time passing without purpose. Repair or replace broken clocks and remove unused ones to encourage a healthier relationship with time."

Making nearly every list we perused on this topic? Unused clothing. This one can be tough because trends are always popping up again. Seventies bellbottoms became 90's flare jeans and lo and behold, they're back. But in a "Decluttering checklist" piece for Home and Gardens writer and content editor Chiana Dickson share wisdom from organization expert Jessica Litman, writing, "If you’re wanting to declutter your clothes fast, but struggling to make decisions, try items on and ask yourself how it makes you feel. There’s nothing worse than wearing clothes you don’t feel good in, so if that’s the case, remove it from your closet straightaway."


Wellness

A professor reveals the secret of how to make 'gratitude lists' really work

"Those adults are regularly moved to tears to learn of the positive impact they had."

A woman crosses her arms in gratitude. A person writes a letter.

It's true that "gratitude" has become a buzzword and the very idea of it seems trite and empty to some. For others, the world might feel too chaotic at the moment to focus on the tiny, good things we're told to hang onto. But a professor of psychology at Gonzaga University gave some insight on how to make the concept of gratitude truly enhance our lives.

It's easy to take things for granted sometimes. Keeping a list of stuff we're grateful for, big and small, can certainly help put life into perspective—and not just items at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs (like air and water), but all along the pyramid. It can change daily from "I got good sleep last night" to "I'm glad the TV show I like is back for a new season."

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There's a guy on TikTok called David the Grateful Guy (@today.iam.grateful), and as you might have guessed, he posts clips of different things for which he's grateful. One day, he expressed his appreciation for salt. That’s it. Just salt.

@today.iam.grateful

Today I am grateful for salt! Anyone else add salt to almost everything?! #grateful #gratitude #gratitudejournal #todayiamgrateful #thankfulfor #salt #gratitudepractice

What was extra special is this short video garnered nearly 5,000 comments, binding a community together with jokes and "salt-recognition." It was the sharing of his gratitude that spread joy, more than the salt itself. Kind of like a "Oh yeah, salt IS nice." (Note: a cardiologist might not share this sentiment.)

Professor Monica Y. Bartlett, who in her own words teaches "courses on resilience and human flourishing," shares how important it is to do this. She writes in The Conversation that aside from being aware of your gratitude, "a second method for practicing is expressing that gratitude to others. This can look like writing a letter of gratitude and delivering it to someone who has made a positive impact in your life."

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This can even be a letter in retrospect for someone who has passed on. The act of expressing one's appreciation is just as important as the appreciation itself. Now, this can't always be implemented, but when it can, it might be extremely impactful. Bartlett continues, "When my students do this exercise, it often results in touching interactions. For instance, my college students often write to high school mentors, and those adults are regularly moved to tears to learn of the positive impact they had. Expressing gratitude in work settings can boost employees’ sense of social worth."

A thread, "What's something you're most grateful for?" yielded many comments on Reddit. Lots of people answered food, shelter, air, family. But a few got specific. One person vulnerably shared, "Being gay in a country that doesn't illegalize it. It's still hard, but at least I don’t have to fear for my life."

Another person answered, "Coca-Cola. I'm a simple gal," and another got more specific, "Great red wine—spend a little more than £15 a bottle—but no more than £80—and pick good company (this bit is more important than the absolute price of the wine) and you have a fantastic evening."

red wine, gratitude, friendship, clinking glasses, relaxingPeople clinking their glasses of red wine for a cheers. Photo by Kelsey Knight on Unsplash

And one commenter simply wrote, "I'm grateful to see another day." Perhaps implementing the idea of writing gratitude letters to all the people who help make them feel that way would even triple the impact of happiness. To end with Bartlett's insightful words, "In a world that may currently feel bleak, a letter of gratitude may not only help the writer recognize the good of others, but also let others know that they are making a beautiful difference in the world."

Service dog flunks out of training school in spectacular fashion

There are lots of different kinds of service and companion dogs. Some are "seeing-eye" dogs that assist people with visual impairments. People with mobility issues, hearing loss, or who are at risk of seizures might benefit from a service dog to help them and keep them safe. People with autism, PTSD, anxiety, or depression can also benefit from a highly trained canine companion.

Regardless of the task, certified service animals must undergo an extremely rigorous training process. Their job is not an easy one, and they need to prove they're capable and not prone to being distracted. No one knows this better than the folks at Double H Canine Academy in Louisville, Kentucky — a training facility for pups.

The team at Double H also recognizes that not every dog is suited for a life of service. In a hilarious viral video posted to YouTube, it's abundantly clear that not all dogs are meant to follow orders.


german shepherd, dogs, service dog, seeing eye dog, emotional support dog, service animal, animals, disabilityGerman Shepherds make great service dogs. Well, not all German Shepherds. Photo by Anna Dudkova on Unsplash

Ladies and gentleman, meet Ryker. He's a German Shepherd who was a student at Double H trying to earn his service dog bona fides (bone-a-fides?). Unfortunately, Ryker flunked out in such spectacular fashion that the team couldn't help but put together a little "highlight" package of his best moments.

Ryker really tries his best, but the poor guy just can't help himself. He doesn't want to work; he wants to play. Ryker steals a tennis ball from the bottom of a walker, drags around an entire wheelchair by its handle, and pulls his trainer over trying to go after a fetch ball. There is no piece of equipment that he doesn't want to chew or climb on. There is no leash that can contain him. There is literally not a single distraction that he will not fall for. Perhaps his most extreme fail is, when trying to open a refrigerator door, he ends up dragging the entire thing halfway across the room.

Definitely not service dog behavior. Watch his contagious, fun-loving spirit in the video here:


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The video racked up over 2 million views, and commenters agreed: Ryker may not have passed, but he was definitely a certified Very Good Boy.

'Why bring one thing from the fridge when you can bring the whole damn thing"

"Frankly, I don't understand why he didn't pass. I mean he folded the wheelchair up. He removed the walker from the person after they clearly were done with it. He washed the floor. He moved the fridge. What more could you ask of him?"

"My family and I adopted a service academy 'drop-out' ten years ago. He's still with us and is the most AMAZING dog I'll ever have."

"Being a service dog was not his purpose in life... still a good boy, his purpose was to give us laughs."

"On the plus side, if you lose a tennis ball Ryker is your dog!"

As you can see, Ryker is living his life to the fullest. While he may never be the world's greatest service dog, he continues to provide an invaluable testament to being true to oneself.


sleeping dog, dogs, animals, funny animals, funny dogsRyker is more cut out for this kind of life.Giphy

The list of skills that service dogs can have is astounding. Not all dogs will acquire all of these skills, but some of the basics are:

  • Carrying things for their owner
  • Guiding their owner safely
  • Waking their owner
  • Waking their handler and/or helping them up
  • Interrupting dissociating or freezing
  • Find their owner if lost
  • Alerting bystanders, calling for help, or even using a dog-friendly phone to contact emergency services!
  • And so many more

The fact that Ryker has had any training at all makes him exceptionally well-suited to civilian life. As a family house-dog, Ryker won't need any of the skills above, but his abundance of love and playfulness will serve him incredibly well with his forever family.

This article originally appeared five years ago. It has been updated.

Man climbs 1999-foot tower to change a light bulb.

You know those big giant antennas that look like they reach just below the wing of an airplane at cruising height? Well, someone has to climb them every so often to inspect them or change the flashing bulb. You'd think it would be easier to have a helicopter or something drop them off, but there's probably a really compelling reason someone has to physically climb the antenna. If nothing else, it's probably a good workout.

For Nick Wagner, climbing these huge antennas is just another Tuesday at the office. Wagner works for a company called National Tower Controls, LLC, and apparently, they do maintenance on these towers annually. I'm not sure if there's some sort of process to decide who gets to be the one to climb the beast or if everyone that works there is expected to climb in some rotation. But Wagner took everyone on his climb to change out the light bulb and inspect KDLT-TV's antenna in 2015, and while the view is beautiful, I imagine it could also give you heart palpitations.

"Must not be afraid of heights" is likely in the job description multiple times, bolded, italicized and highlighted. It's not like if you get a little wobbly you can just step down. You'd need an airborne rescue team or a parachute, which makes you wonder if that's part of their climbing equipment. In the video, the climb itself took nearly 15 minutes and it's not clear where in the climb Wagner started filming, but the view is so spectacular that you can practically see the curvature of the Earth.

earth, curvature of the earth, height, tall, skyTalk about scraping the sky.Canva Photos

According to HuffPost, the KDLT-TV antenna's 1,999 foot height makes it not only one one of the tallest structures in South Dakota where it stands, but one of the tallest structures in the world. It's beaten only by Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the Tokyo Skytree.

TV and radio are, of course, important, but the sheer height and might of the KDLT-TV antenna are dizzying to think about even if you aren't the one climbing the tower. In short, why does the antenna have to be so high? The answer is really simple: "the higher the mast, the farther the signal can travel." Can't argue with that.

TV, signal, watch tv, television, antennaHappy The Simpsons GIFGiphy

What makes this whole process even more interesting is that if someone were to ask what he did all day, Wagner's answer could be, "I changed a light bulb," and he wouldn't be lying. He would be severely understating his duties, but he wouldn't be lying.

At any rate, Wagner can have those light bulbs and I'll stick to the ones that require no more height than a kitchen chair.

Watch the incredible video below and try to keep your head:

- YouTubeyoutu.be

This article originally appeared three years ago.