Trashing Treasures

One of the upsides of the global pandemic and being on lockdown is that we have not needed many items such as clothings, shoes and bags, because we haven’t been able to get out and use them.

This, in my opinion, gives us an opportunity for a reset which could bode well for enabling a better and more secure financial future. Imagine if the money we would have spent in the past fifteen months on eating out, going out, holidaying and buying accessories is invested.

Yes I know many have lost their jobs, businesses or had other financial commitments but for the rest of us, we can choose to come out at the other end of this pandemic in a better financial shape.

After getting a fresh dose of inspiration from watching ‘The Home Edits’ and a few episodes of Marie Kondo on Netflix, I decided to do an early spring clean of my wardrobe.

It was nothing short of a Herculean task figuring out what to keep, bin or give away. It was even more challenging to let certain items go because of my emotional attachments to them. It was physically and emotionally tiring to go through the entire process in the right way.

I discovered I had a lot of grey items even though grey is not in my top three favourite colours, not even in my top five. Go figure! There were pleasant discoveries, surprises and painful goodbyes.

As I approached the end of the process, I had loads of things to give away and it got me thinking about trash and treasures. I was reminded that someone would give anything to have what I was throwing or giving away.

For them my ‘trash’ is their ‘treasure’ but sadly neither of us knows it. I don’t know who is desperate for those items, and they don’t know who could easily give it to them.

All I can do is the next best thing which is to donate them to goodwill and trust that somehow, they will find themselves in the right hands and homes. As I let go of them, I was grateful that I had been blessed with them in the first place.

For me trash and treasures go beyond clothes and shoes or any other items. It applies to people as well.

As employers or business owners, we could have employees whose values we don’t see or appreciate and someone out there would benefit from the work they do.

After a recent trip to a hotel I often stay in, I discovered the new manager had let some of their more experienced employees go because of difference of opinions. Interestingly these were the employees that encouraged my loyalty to the hotel making it a second home over a few years.

And I experienced more service failures during my last stay than during all my previous stays combined.

Same applies to relationships. Someone would treasure any and everyone in our lives even when we don’t see them as treasures.

Some things are meant to be trashed as they are past their usefulness or due dates, other things are meant to be treasured for life. The wisdom is in knowing the difference before it’s too late.

Cherish your treasures. Don’t trash them. Don’t forget to pass things that you no longer consider to be treasures on to those who will value them. There’s someone whose life will be better if and when your ‘trash’ makes it’s way to them.

Don’t deprive them of life’s little pleasures; think about the joy you can give to someone else as you let go of your so called ‘trashes’.

As for me, I plan to revisit this exercise again and again until all unnecessary attachments to ‘material things’ are completely broken. I have seen the benefits to me and to others and there’s no turning back.

Have a great week. Thanks for reading my post.