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How selling everything I owned gave me the life I’d been chasing all along
I was sitting on the floor of my townhouse surrounded by piles of clothing, sorting them into what would be sold and what would be given away. I had opened my closet and drawers and pulled out every beautiful thing I’d bought over the years… every designer top, every pair of shoes, every “statement” piece that was supposed to make me look like the kind of woman who had made it.
Somewhere in the middle of that, I had a breakdown moment. The kind where you stop mid-fold, sit down on the carpet, and start to cry because you realize how deeply attached you’ve become to things that don’t actually matter.
I wasn’t just decluttering. I was dismantling a whole version of myself.
Success Isn’t Always Freedom
If you had seen my life from the outside, you’d have thought I was winning. Multiple thriving businesses. A side venture in fashion that was profitable and fun. A consulting role coaching business owners around the world. The three-bedroom townhouse. The Lexus convertible. The designer wardrobe.
It was the life I’d worked for years to build. And yet, somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like mine. The schedule, the obligations, the constant demands had slowly squeezed out the things that used to light me up. Travel. Creativity. Connection. Rest.
I was exhausted, overextended, single, and living in a definition of success that looked good but felt empty.
The Decision to Let Go
The breaking point came after an impromptu trip to Guatemala. It was my first passport stamp in more than seven years. Somewhere between walking the cobblestone streets, looking up at volcanoes, and sitting quietly with a cup of coffee in the morning, I remembered what it felt like to be fully alive.
On the return flight home, I promised myself I would find a different way to live and work.
That choice set off a wave of change. I sold my businesses. I listed everything I owned on Facebook, inviting strangers into my home for what I jokingly called an “estate sale.” They carried away everything from my dish set to my Lexus. I gave away the art, the furniture, the kitchen gadgets, the little luxuries that had once seemed so important.
Letting go was terrifying… and liberating all at once.
Redefining Success as a Nomad and Expat
With one suitcase and a one-way ticket, I started fresh. Over the next several years, I lived and worked in 12 countries across Latin America. I tried out different environments to see which sparked my creativity, which helped me focus, and which gave me a deep sense of peace.
I discovered that my best ideas came in bright, airy spaces with natural light. That my energy soared in green, quiet neighborhoods and slowed in loud, busy cities. That inspiration showed up more easily when I was surrounded by art, beauty, and novelty.
My definition of success shifted completely. It became about time freedom, creative energy, and relationships that mattered.
What Letting Go Taught Me
Here’s what I learned from releasing everything I thought I needed:
- Freedom Requires Space
If your life is packed to the edges with commitments, possessions, and roles that no longer fit, there’s no room for anything new to come in. - Your Environment Shapes You
Where you spend your time directly influences how you think, create, and show up in the world. Choose spaces and locations that bring out your best. - You Don’t Need to Have It All Figured Out
You don’t need the perfect plan before you take the leap. Clarity comes from doing the thing, not waiting for certainty.
Your Freedom Might Be Closer Than You Think
Whatever it is you’ve been holding on to – a business that no longer inspires you, a house that feels more like a weight than a home, a role that no longer fits who you’re becoming – maybe it’s time to let go.
For me, letting go of everything I owned gave me the space to design a life I actually love. One that includes a thriving coaching business, a flourishing art career, travel whenever I want, mornings without alarms, and more time for the people and passions that matter most.
Your freedom might be waiting too… just on the other side of letting go.
Katrina Cobb is a coach and strategist who helps women leaders redefine success through intentional lifestyle design, creating more time, freedom, and fulfillment without sacrificing ambition. Start your own redesign with her free Freedom Audit at https://katrinacobb.com/freedom-audit/
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