Sometimes tiny steps are so tiny they don’t *look* like you are making progress, but when you step back you can see that even though small, they have the potential to change your entire outlook.
It’s easy to do a big step like go into the way back of a closet and come out with coats, hats, gloves, and scarves that can be donated to others. In a matter of minutes you can fill the back seat of your car with stuff that is no longer used or needed. It’s one of those steps that can make a big dent.
But what about the lovely little trinkets you’ve collected that hold dear meaning to you?
I am a “thing” person. When I go on vacation, I collect stones and pine cones and “things” that remind me of what we did. When someone is sick, I stick a totem in my pocket, a tiny metal angel, a coin with a blessing on it to remind me to think of that person.
When I write, I like to have muses surrounding me. Some have been with me for years and I could never part with them, while others have served their purpose and are now just hanging around, reminding me of a project already finished.
What do you do with the tiny things that you love?
I’ve decided to set mine free.
The other evening Marc and I went out to dinner and I tucked a gratitude totem under a plant’s leaves. A summer bead bracelet was placed hung on a fence near a high school hoping to catch the eye of the girl that it should now belong to. A wooden Christmas tree ornament found in a Christmas cracker at the end of a family holiday dinner now sits in a corner of a store’s wooden shelf waiting, just waiting for the right person to find it.
Maybe these little items of mine will find new homes, maybe they won’t. But by releasing them into the universe, I freely share my blessings and memories of good times with others. I am truly letting go.
It doesn’t pain me to let go of my possessions in this manner, in fact it brings joy – a release from the weight of holding on. I’ll continue leaving my trinkets as I travel – gifts to friends unknown, because I’ve finally, finally realized that I don’t need to keep the item to hold onto the memory.
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Wendy Thomas writes about the lessons learned while raising children and chickens in New Hampshire. Contact her at [email protected]
Also, join me on Facebook to find out more about the flock (children and chickens) and see some pretty funny chicken jokes, photos of tiny houses, and even a recipe or two.
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