When “Stuff” Has Memories

One of the most common reasons that people tend to hold onto stuff as well as to buy more stuff is the idea that the items they’re buying or insisting on keeping are infused with “memories.” How many times have you heard somebody say, “But I can’t throw that away! It was the dishware that was on the table on such-and-such an important day.” Or “I can’t get rid of that dress because I was wearing it on such-and-such an important day.” We’re not opposed to the idea of mementos or keeping things that have meaning or value to you. However, in many cases, this attitude can go over the edge. People end up keeping hundreds (sometimes thousands) of items because of the “memories” associated with them. So we felt as though a blog entry was needed in order to make one thing very clear:

Your memories are not dependent on consumer items.

Now, again, there’s nothing wrong with keeping some things here and there. The tradition of keeping a wedding dress is a great example of this. Of course, there are also items that will be passed down throughout generations. What is a problem, however, is the idea that when you go to clean out your closet or storage space, you don’t want to get rid of anything because all of those items “have memories.”

Your memories are not tied to consumer items. We promise you that. But here is a simple rule of thumb to use when determining if you need to keep something because of the memories it calls to mind:

Is the item publicly displayed in your home, or is it in storage?

If an item is publicly displayed in your home and it causes you to remember a person, place or event every time you look at it, then that is a great memento you should absolutely hold on to because it leads you to happiness. If an item is stored (even if that just means in a drawer) and never used, then that is not an item you need to hold on to. You may have an emotional reaction to recycling it, but it’s time to face the fact that you don’t need it. And as we learn to reduce our dependence on consumer items, it’s important that we realize that our memories exist inside of us, not in something we purchased and carried home in a plastic bag!