WENDY DEWAR HUGHES
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Make It
    • Inspiration >
      • Be Happier and More Creative in Three Easy Steps
      • Take Time to Get Away
      • Eat Chocolate for Breakfast
      • There is Always Time
      • How I Became an Artist
      • Make it Pretty Quickly
      • Use the Good Things
      • Finding Quiet
      • Do You Have the Nerve?
    • Turn Your Vacation into a Creative Retreat
    • Sketchbook Tour
    • Artistic DIY Envelopes
    • Everywhere Designs and Patterns
    • Decorating with Seashells
    • Creative Spaces in My House
    • Creative Business
    • Lesson Library >
      • Lesson List >
        • Sketch Rome Travel Journal
  • About
    • My Books
    • Sketches from the South of France
    • About Me >
      • My Licenses
      • Readers' Comments
      • Contact

Don't Own What You Don't Want to Have

5/5/2017

Comments

 
Yesterday I cleaned out my piano bench. It was full of cassette tapes. We all know that cassettes have now gone the way of the 8-track and the video rental store so even though I still own a stereo unit that will play cassettes, I haven’t listened to most of them in years.
Picture
Time marches on. We adopt new technologies, try new ideas, and buy new things. It’s so easy to simply leave something on the shelf where it has always lived and close the door without dealing with it. We still own it but don’t really need or want to have it.
 
Last week I sat at breakfast with a darling friend who told me about what she called, “my injury”. This person went through a terrible ordeal and still suffers the consequences. My heart went out to her.
 
However, it struck me that she is not only dealing with the after-effects of the injury but still owns it as her own. She hasn’t let go of it and relegated it to the past as something that happened to her from which she can move on, rather than something that she still accepts as part of her. She still carries it around.
Picture
Picture
I spent last week cleaning out my mother’s house. Cupboards and closets were stuffed with items than I’m sure she’d forgotten about years ago. It’s different when clearing someone else’s effects than cleaning out your own closet skeletons, I get that, but boy, it has sure made me take a hard look at my own trailing clutter.
 
The cassette tapes all went out the door. With the piano bench empty, I had room for music books and sheet music. Then the ragged pages and coverless music books went in the recycling, and the good ones that I no longer want, go to the used bookstore. The stand where they’ve languished for more years than I care to count now goes too. (I never liked that thing.)
Picture
Possessions that I no longer want to own are moving out of my life to make more room for the objects that give me joy.
 
The incidents and events that have happened in my past are like those belongings in my house that are no longer necessary. They’ve made an impact and won’t be forgotten. But I don’t need them anymore so I no longer own them as mine. Yesterday’s stuff can stay in the past.
Picture
Today is a new day with new possibilities, new choices, and new chances for wonder and happiness. A light heart is not encumbered by yesterday’s burdens.
Picture
Get lovely letters in your letter box every couple of weeks.
Join The Letter Box today!
Comments

    Wendy's Blog

    Where I share creative ideas, uplifting thoughts, and spread sweetness to help us all make life better.

    RSS Feed

    Follow

    Categories

    All
    5 Illustrated Books You Don't Want To Miss
    Adventure
    A Gracious Guest
    Artists
    Blogging
    Books
    Business
    Canada USA Flag Banners
    Countries
    Country Christmas Home
    Creative Courage
    Creative Entrepreneur
    Creative Inspirations Video
    Creativity
    Don't Own What You Don't Want To Have
    Do Yourself A Kindness
    East Wind And Rabbit Tracks
    Foreign
    Go For It
    Good For Your Soul
    In Praise Of Paper
    Is There Enough?
    Is Your Life On Hold?
    Life With No Fear
    Living
    Make Better Decisions
    Making New Habits
    Maple Leaf Watercolor Tutorial
    My Holiday House
    New Books
    New Year
    Novel
    Pep Talks
    Plans Are Getting Sticky
    Pop-Up Seaside Village
    RV Happy - Colour Me
    Seven Dumb Things You Need To Stop Doing
    Silver And White Christmas
    Simplify The Simple Way
    Sometimes Life Conspires
    Sometimes You Just Don't Want To
    Spirit
    The Muddle Is Normal
    The Sweetness Of A Letter
    Three Inspiring Ideas
    Three Simple Ways To Up-Level
    To The Beach We Go
    Track Your Success
    Travel
    Travels In Quebec
    Weather
    When The Smoke Clears
    When Winter Never Ends
    When You Need A Pep Talk
    Winter Again
    Women
    Writers
    Writing
    Writing Inspiration
    Writing Is Hard?
    You Can't Get Grape Juice From A Cow

    Archives

    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    RSS Feed

Terms and Privacy
​
Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Copyright 2016 Wendy Dewar Hughes. All Rights Reserved.
Photo used under Creative Commons from BinaryApe
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Make It
    • Inspiration >
      • Be Happier and More Creative in Three Easy Steps
      • Take Time to Get Away
      • Eat Chocolate for Breakfast
      • There is Always Time
      • How I Became an Artist
      • Make it Pretty Quickly
      • Use the Good Things
      • Finding Quiet
      • Do You Have the Nerve?
    • Turn Your Vacation into a Creative Retreat
    • Sketchbook Tour
    • Artistic DIY Envelopes
    • Everywhere Designs and Patterns
    • Decorating with Seashells
    • Creative Spaces in My House
    • Creative Business
    • Lesson Library >
      • Lesson List >
        • Sketch Rome Travel Journal
  • About
    • My Books
    • Sketches from the South of France
    • About Me >
      • My Licenses
      • Readers' Comments
      • Contact