Clutter is bad. But then so is the whole de-cluttering industry. Why? Take a look in the self-help section of a bookshop (and I know you have, even if you were pretending to be on your BlackBerry).Because what you will find are about 30 books on how to de-clutter, which all seems a little ironic: "Hey you over there, come on over here and buy a load of more useless stuff."
However, I did have a good old read and admit to learning a few things. When it comes to hoarding, psychologists use the term "loss aversion" to describe people who prefer holding on to the things they have, rather than acquiring items.
This, in turn, stunts our ability to redevelop and accept change. But then it all gets a little flowery: "Think of oneself as a suitcase and our soul is our baggage. If your suitcase is full, the past is simply weighing us down."
It all sounds a little hysterical to me. While clutter is probably to do with poor time management or overspending, I am not sure it equates to any deep psychological disorders. In fact, most of these "tidiness experts" themselves look and sound like they could do with a bit of help.
But let's face it, clutter nags. We all have "that cupboard". A nice mix of tea towels, recipes torn from old magazines, perhaps a few candles or a packet of extra- long matches we never use.
Yet our wardrobes are the biggest offender. Ask yourself the following questions: have you worn it in the past six months? Is it so precious to you that you will miss it? Does it fit? (more on this later). Another good one is to take a step back and look at it with a fresh pair of eyes. Would you buy it again now if the cash were in your hand or would you invest in something better?
Your first step should be getting rid of things; then there will be less to organise. Holding on to things that "might" one day be useful is just a future ticket to procrastination.
Coming to terms with your shape is also essential. I have heard the words "oh but when I lose a stone" so many times I could have made up the whole of North America in body weight. At the least, put anything that doesn't fit away in storage boxes. It is not helping anyone to have clothes that no longer fit sneering every time you open your wardrobe.
We often think it is our belongings that make us belong, but remember that, as time passes, we also move on and the things that are important to us will and should be different. Life never stops -it's important to make room for the new.
M-Ometer
This week's highs and lows
RICH LIST Alessandra Rich's new collection gives us yet another reason to shop at Symphony.
CELEB ENDORSEMENT Kanye West donates to Central Saint Martins College of Art, then collaborates with MA fashion course director on a new range. Coincidence? Doubtful.
CANDICE SWANEPOEL First Tom Ford, now Versace (above) - this model is taking the fashion world by storm.
GARETH PUGH FOR MAC Let's take a wild guess: Black eyeliner, lipstick and nail varnish?
BJÖRK She's back and this time her designer of choice is Michael Van Der Ham.
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The Kites
Romain Gary
Penguin Modern Classics
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Naga
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
