I recently had a conversation with a stranger about stuff.

In particular, we talked about our attachment to things and our aversion to getting rid of them. This woman had recently lost her husband, and she shared with me the anxiety she felt about going through his things and possibly giving them away. The task seemed so daunting to her—she didn't know where, or how, to start—that she found herself avoiding it altogether. She carried the weight of that avoidance with her, along with the guilt that came with it.

I could relate. Not directly to her specific situation, but I knew the feeling of anxious attachment she was talking about. We may have been strangers, but in that moment, we knew each other. We understood what it felt like to live under the shadow of "what if" that caused us to cling to things. What if I need it later? What if it's wrong to get rid of it? What if I feel bad about it later? I'm certainly guilty of it myself, and I've seen countless others who are bogged down and surrounded by things they are powerless to get rid of.

There are all different kinds of reasons for this sort of behavior. Sometimes we hold on to things because of determination (keeping these pants will inspire me to lose weight) and that's okay. A little inspiration never hurt anyone. Some things we keep because we want to hold on to the memories they give us. These items have "sentimental value", and I think holding on to them is just fine. Memories are important, and sometimes we need a conduit to the past.

It's only when the fear of letting go of these things is stronger than the desire to hold on to them.

A task, such as cleaning out a closet or going through a love one's things, can seem so daunting and overwhelming. Rather cialis generic buy online than face these feelings, we avoid the task altogether, letting it fester in our hearts, accumulating guilt and anxiety.

In my experience, and if I've learned anything from those around me, holding on to these things and putting off the task of cleaning them out only weighs us down.

Nitric oxide is a muscle relaxant and manages to relax the muscles that are found in the corpus cavernosum when an erection happens. cialis cheap generic This particular female cialis online drug is also used to prevent premature ejaculation. I had to tell her, and I had to travel from a simple state Alabama to a very different place with people so different in cialis 25mg their ways and culture. Under this system, the patient no longer needs to receive a traditional physical exam by the physician, rather the patient completes an online questionnaire, and this questionnaire is then submitted to the physician using their overnight cialis secure order system. What's more, once we finally decide to knuckle down and tackle the task, we feel so much better afterwards. We feel lighter, as though a huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders; the fist that was clenching our hearts has finally let go. If proof that the task needed to be done is what we're looking for, then that feeling of accomplishment and freedom is it. Being free from the anxiety of not doing something is worth facing the fear of doing it.

Ridding ourselves of these feelings is something we have control over, even if it's hard. Tackling the difficult task of getting rid of stuff is a challenge for many people. But it is a way to be happier, and we owe it to ourselves to do the things that bring happiness into our own lives. We have to clear out the old to make room for the new, even if that comes in the form of a clean shelf in the closet or extra room in the garage.

If it's a difficult task, like what the woman was facing with her late husband's things, just take it one day at a time. If it's a big task, like an entire room—or house—full of things you held on to for fear of letting them go, then take it one corner at a time. It will get easier. You'll feel better as you go, and just the act of clearing out will give you the energy and motivation to keep going.

 

 

 

 

Comments

comments