JUST ONE
Letting go of things that are not necessarily junk or trash and that are in nice condition can difficult.
I mean, you bought that side table 9 years ago and it has just NOT let you down!!
It is easy to think of another use for it or someone we can give it to at some unforseen date in the future. It can make you feel guilty to have made so many purchases that are going to waste. Money you earned and then spent is just sitting there in piles, but Goodwill just doesn’t seem like the right place for it and selling it on ebay just seems like too much of a hassle. And so it goes, back into the box, with a promise to yourself that you’ll use it some day or it will be nice gift to someone. Every once in a while, this gets accomplished. Most of the time, it doesn’t. It sits there.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to let go. Easier said than done, right?
That is because forcing yourself to give something up that you aren’t ready to is attached to the guilt you feel of wasting money on it.
But, you haven’t wasted money on it. Every single thing you’ve ever purchased has had its purpose. Even if you never used it.
This is because purchases that are made when stressed, sad, or discombobulated are made to relieve emotions. Was it a wise purchase? Maybe not. Was it a useful purchase? Most likely not because it has never been used. BUT did it serve it’s purpose? Yes. As petty and mild as it seemed, you bought that item to relieve yourself. Even if you’ve had an addiction to spending, it was a relief of the feelings of addiction. Even if you went through a hard divorce or death, you were spending to cope. I am not here to justify everything you’ve purchased, I’m here to tell you that your purchase did serve a purpose and that you must change your thoughts to give thanks to that object. Be thankful that you had the resources to purchase it at the time and that it relieved you of some type of anguish or made you feel happy at the time.
We cannot cling to the past forever, so owning up to the purpose of the object and then letting it go is the best way to move on.
In the future, there may be some treat or trinket or keepsake you’d like to give as a gift to someone. But, you do not need to hold on to every single gift, every single bargain purchase, every single deal you caught in the meantime. An investment is something that increases value over time- if you purchased things at a discount or received them for free, you need to acknowledge the truth of the objects you are harboring and let them go.
Thank your belongings, acknowledge their purpose they served you, and send them off to someone else , whether that be by goodwill, by ebay or by someone you know, RIGHT NOW.
Today, pick one item that is hard for you to give up but you know it serves absolutely no current purpose. Generate strength and step outside of your comfort zone- hold it in your hands, remember the precise moment you bought it or it was given to you for free, thank it for being there when you needed it to be whether that is through retail therapy or simply having the joy of receiving a gift from someone, and then let it go. Get it out of the house.
The item I am picking today to appreciate is a bunch of clothing I bought too small several years ago that I thought I’d get into and never did. They served a purpose: I was coping with weight gain and trying to set a workout schedule. Buying goal clothes made me feel like I was going to squeeze into those tiny ol shorts in NO TIME and it was exciting.
20 lbs and 5 years later… a tankie has turned into a crop top and a miniskirt has become a bandeau bra. This wasn’t the plan!
I kept them in the closet in the hopes that I’d lose the weight, but I know that even when I do, I sure as hell will not be going back to 5 year old clothing. I will be raiding whatever store where I now fit into a smaller size. Maybe I spent money on something that never had use, but it did fill a need for me back then.
Can you do that? One piece you have been stalling on giving away? Today, do it. Just one.
What can you say goodbye to and thank for serving a purpose, even if it felt like a waste?
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