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“What’s that mean to you?”
“That? Oh, well my mom gave it to me back when…”
“No, what’s it mean to you?”
I sat there dumbfounded. Why in the world did a knick knack need to mean something? I’ve had it for years. That’s it’s place on the shelf. Isn’t that enough?
He rolled his eyes, shrugged, and moved into the living room.
While that might not have been the longest or most meaningful relationship I’ve ever had, I’ll always appreciate Ross helping me realize that I don’t need so much “stuff”. That one conversation greatly changed the way I look at what is currently in my home, as well as the new things that come into it.
It’s been a slow process, but I’ve slowly gotten rid of everything in my home that doesn’t actually mean something to me. If it doesn’t bring back a great memory or bring a smile to my face, it’s not going to last long in my home.
Making this change has not been easy! Prior to Ross’ comment, I would just buy things randomly. If there was a sale and I might use it, I’d buy it. If it was cute, I’d buy it. If I thought someone else might get use out of it, I’d buy it. Looking back, I wasted a lot of money on things that I didn’t really need and that had no real meaning to me!
Now I simply ask myself these questions:
- Does it make me happy?
- Does it have meaning?
- Will I use it in the near future?
- Is it worth the cost?
Those are good questions. I will have to remember them as I go about my spring cleaning.