I think they call this separation anxiety….

A funny thing happened on day 3 of my challenge.

For the first time ever, I developed a sincere concern over the loss of my DVD collection. Before this challenge, I had a total of 82 DVD’s. I am now down to 22. Many of my DVD’s had never been opened or even watched, and yet, when I thought about getting rid of them, there was palpable hesitation.

I thought:

How could I just give these things away after spending money on them?

What if I need them?

Weeks later, these thoughts seem so irrational.

Seriously, I have to take a moment to chuckle a little bit at my first world problems.

Instead of being concerned about the money I’d invested in this collection after the fact, I wish that I would have found better use for that money. What if instead of investing money in 60 DVD’s I never watch, I had taken a class or traveled to a new country? What if instead of investing time in watching these movies when I’m bored, I had spent time doing something that gets me closer to my goals. Where would I be now?

And then there’s the idea that I need DVD’s. For what? Do they bring value into my life? Have they changed my life for the better? No and no. How often do we tell ourselves that we need something when really we don’t? I’ve got a closet full of clothes I can’t wear, tons of kitchen supplies I never use, shoes that rarely get worn more than once, a 2 bedroom apartment that rarely gets used in its entirety, and the list goes on and on and on…..

Why do we assign so much value to our stuff?

How would life be different if we invested in things that matter or that changed our lives for the better instead of frivolities?