A friend, and someone who reads my newsletter, asked me a great question today. Anyone, who reads my materials knows I often recommend letting go of anything you don’t need, use or love. Her questions was “How to know the difference between need and use.” Great question!
Let’s first define need. A need is absolute;
it’s a requirement, a necessity, something you must have in order to survive. Examples are food, shelter, clothes, shoes, items in our homes, etc. Since needs are vital, we tend to use them.
Unfortunately, we get confused between needs and wants and we tend to buy a lot of things thinking we will use them, when in fact they just sit our homes. A want is something you desire or wish for. It is something you crave, but is not a necessity. Examples are excessive dining out, a second home, excessive clothing, excessive shoes, a TV in every room, etc. Its all the extra we buy and don’t use.
That’s where not using comes in. When we buy things we don’t really need and don’t have a plan to use, we tend to not use them. A good example is buying something simply because its on sale. I have seen homes with wall to wall furniture, lots of clothes with tags, 3 food processors, 5 TV’s and extra, old ones in the garage.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love stuff too (pureses are my thing), but I only have the space I have so I have to make decisions about my needs and be honest with myself about what I am really using. I do this at home with my things and then also before I buy anything. I ask myself is this a need or a want?
I can’t tell how great if feels to let go. I have seen clients change their perspective and demeanor in a day by giving themselves permission to let go. And the best part is, you can let it go to someone who needs it more than you. Click here for our list of donation locations.
Just a few days before Christmas I was interviewed by Sarah Treleaven; a Weekend Post writer for the National Post. I was excited to contribute to her article because she was asking me about something I feel passionately about; not keeping gifts you don’t want or need. Read Sarah’s article The Ugliest Gifts Of All and learn how to deal with all those gift you don’t need, use or love. 