What Are You Holding On To?

The stuff you hold on to says a lot about where you are in life right now. I’m not just talking about holding on to emotional stuff. Of course, having the right mindset and being able to let things go or let things be is extremely important in anything you do, especially when running a business.

But the same mindset applies when it comes to your material possessions. We all desire to have a certain amount of material things and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Having nice things is comforting.

There are family heirlooms and things that mean something to us personally that we should on to. The problem comes when you can’t let go of those things that you don’t have a use for any longer. Obviously letting go of things is becoming more of an issue for many people or there wouldn’t be need for a $22 billion a year (yes billion with a B) self-storage industry.

What’s the Purpose?

It’s safe to say for many it’s hard to let go of things. The question is why. What purpose does holding on to this stuff serve? Everything we hold on to, whether it’s emotional, or material serves a purpose. It does something for us or we’d be willing to part with it.

I’ve moved 3 times over the last 5 years. For me, that’s a lot. Until then I’d been in the same place for 12 years and before that it was no less than 6 years at the same address. Moving is chaotic and difficult to say the least. But it does provide an opportunity to part with things that have accumulated over time. As a consumer society it’s amazing just how quickly things do accumulate.

Instead of just packing everything, I took the time to make piles of keep and pack, donate/give away or trash. It was amazing how much stuff, and I hate to admit it, went to the dumpster. Things that were old and shabby, had a crack here or there, couldn’t be recycled or upcycled, and things that you ask yourself, why did I even keep this in the first place?

Think about some of the stuff you have in storage, whether it’s in a storage unit, the garage or in a tote in the closet, and try to figure out what purpose it serves to hold on to it. Are you afraid to let it go because you think you might need it some day and won’t have the means to replace it? Does having a lot of stuff make you feel prosperous?

Holding On Means Doubting

Prosperity is a mind-set not something tangible. It’s not about having stuff. It’s about having an abundance of confidence in who you are and your abilities. It’s having an abundance of friends and family you love and cherish. It’s being happy at the core of your being. Prosperity is about being the authentic you. Money and things will not make you happy unless you already are.

Holding on to things that have no real personal significance comes from a mind-set of needing or lack. This type of thinking sends a message to the universe that says, I doubt my abilities, my talents, and myself. And I know that I will never have the means or money to replace these items. And that mind-set just puts you in a position to make decisions that will keep you stuck right where you are.

Begin to change your mind-set by letting go of some of the things that you no longer have a use for. Start by taking baby-steps. Open just one box and pull out just one item at a time and if it doesn’t have personal significance (a family heirloom) then let it go. Donate it or give it away to someone who needs it. Be radically generous. By helping others you’re helping yourself. And do it knowing that if you ever have a use for such an item again, you’ll easily be able to replace it.

So, start to change your mind-set from one of needing to one of prosperity and let go!