Stuff

Cleaning out my office at work - so much stuff that I kept, thinking it might be important, that I needed it, that it was valuable.  Not right at the moment, of course, that's why it got put on a shelf, or filed in a folder, but someday I'd need it.  In the end, the vast majority had never been looked at again, and very had been important to keep.

What does this tell me about myself?  Filing something away is not putting it to use - it's setting aside - creating a latent store of stuff that only will require more time and energy in the future.  It's creating an obligation for my future self, do deal with things that I'm not prepared to deal with, or let go of, right now.

Keeping stuff creates a little sense of security - maybe I'll need it someday and then I'll have it - perhaps it's the same instinct that compels us to store food in times of plenty.  But keeping too much stuff begins to become a weight dragging me back.  Every minute spent sorting through old stuff, making another decision about whether to keep it or not, is a minute I'm not spending on meeting my current goals, or simply enjoying life in the present.

Before I keep the next item of stuff, I should ask a couple of questions - "Is this thing useful to moving ahead with my life right now?"  "Is there a reason to think it may be vital in the future, and is irreplaceable?"  If not, I'm better off to let it go right now.