Have you ever watched ‘Hoarders’? It’s a series that steps inside the lives of people who have become addicted to stuff. It doesn’t just show these people and their stuff, however. It goes into their backstories: how they were before hoarding became a part and eventually all of their lives, what life events triggered the habit, and how it affected all their relationships.
You don’t have to be a hoarder to understand that our stuff — the type, quantity and quality of it — is a direct reflection of who we were, who we are, and who we want to be.
We have things from our past that we just can’t let go of, things we believe we need now, and things we’ve set aside for the future. Nothing wrong with that, of course. But a few questions need to be asked and answered.
- Is your stuff reminiscent of a past you believe you have left behind?
- Why haven’t you updated it?
- Could it be that you haven’t completely left that past behind?
- Do the things you have kept from your past evoke positive emotions?
- Have you simply carried your baggage (physical objects linked to painful or otherwise negative memories) from the past to live in your present?
- Is your past stagnating your present?
- Are the things you buy now a reflection of the current you, of how you want to be perceived, or are they bought simply to impress others?
- Look around you, do you like your stuff?
- Are you living your own life?
- Is anything in your environment propelling you towards your future goals?
- Do you have future goals?
- Why are you afraid of the future?
If your stuff could talk it would be able to answer questions you have been unable to answer. Each item could remind you of the way you were feeling when you added it to your ‘stuff collection’. It would tell you what brought the feeling on. Collectively they would look you dead in the eye and let you know what your REAL story is. If they could talk.
But they don’t have to, do they? We just need to be honest with ourselves.
What does your stuff say about you? Honestly.
Your stuff may hold the secret to your next steps.
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