Taking out the trash

The few times that I have actually decluttered my home, I experienced a feeling of being liberated and in control.

TAKING OUT THE TRASH (Best Letter)
While reading about the magic of decluttering (Breaking the Clutter, June 12), I was reminded of the William Morris quote, 'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful'.
I would often start to declutter my house, but end up keeping most of the things either out of emotional attachment or because I thought I'd need them later.
However, the few times that I have actually decluttered my home, I experienced a feeling of being liberated and in control. It is not just the physical space it provides, but also the sense of freedom that comes with it, especially when you realise how much time you can save when you are organised. Another high is giving away something that is no longer useful to you, but is of immense value to someone else.
Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, asserts that decluttering boils down to determining which objects 'spark joy' and which do not. That makes perfect sense to me! Why would I need something around me that doesn't give me joy?
I also believe decluttering must not be limited only to our homes or workplace. We must declutter our minds of negative thoughts and any kind of hatred or animosity we harbour towards our fellow human beings. Imagine the magic an uncluttered home can have on us and then think about the positivity of having an uncluttered mind! Thank you, wknd., for shedding light on topics that are so different from the usual run-of-the-mill.
Congratulations on your winning entry, K V Mohandas! We'll be in touch soon.

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» SPRING CLEANING
 
The article Breaking the Clutter (June 12) on Shelina Jokhiya's company Decluttr Me was an inspiring and practical read. Having lived in Qatar, the UK, Australia, India and now the UAE, I know that moving is a daunting task. And because Dubai is such a cosmopolitan city with a collection of stores that sell brands from all over the world, it presents a tempting prospect to the average shopper who would love to own everything, be it clothes, perfumes, shoes or furniture. Finding a place for them in our not-so-large apartments is what truly leads to the cluttering.
Ideally, the motto for moving from place to place ought to be 'with essentials only'; however, differentiating between the essentials and the non-essentials is a challenge. The article emphasises a 'live in the present' philosophy, which is the best approach.
Upon reading the article, I realised that this is a wonderful and relevant business opportunity that has emerged from the lifestyle of the present. According to Feng Shui, to have positive energy flow freely through your home, you must keep your house free of clutter. - Aparna Jeyaraman

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» AND THE AWARD GOES TO...
 
Bollywood has it all - glamour, talent and fantastic movies. And over the years, Bollywood awards meant to honour excellence have grown in number and splendour  - there are the Filmfare Awards, the Stardust Awards, the Global Indian Film Awards. and now (Bollywood's Arabian Nights, June 12) the Arab Indo Bollywood Awards (AIBA).
A lot of these awards have turned into &entertainment shows rather than any real recognition of excellence. The awards shows may be fair, but are hardly free from controversies. Moreover, all these shows are &organised by media houses, who have their own agendas. Media is obviously a big business, and I feel like the awards end up being more of a showcase of glamour than anything else. Especially since there are currently so many awards shows, and they are all competing to stand out.
Bollywood is known for being global, corporate, professional, respectable and generally at par with the best of the best, not to mention having a loyal fan base of a gigantic 3 billion fans across the globe. So I can't understand why it can't put together one single, credible, believable, respect-worthy awards function like Cannes or the Oscars, which follow a very painstaking, elaborate and foolproof method of selecting nominees and winners. Sakina T. Poonawala

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» DRAMA QUEEN
 
Bollywood diva Rekha's walking out of director Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor shows how some stars turn into total control freaks (Why is she such a Control Freak?, June12). When Rekha first debuted in Bollywood, a little more than four decades ago, she was a 'plain Jane' and strove to become an A-list star. She may have accomplished her mission, but at what cost? She now has a reputation for being an obsessive diva.
Thespian Dilip Kumar, Nana Patekar and Aamir Khan are other actors famous for throwing attitude and interfering  in the director's work. There are others who insist on hogging the limelight, but this kind of  egoistical behaviour simply does not work.  Jayashree Kulkarne