The Burden of our Possessions

Our ego loves stuff.

On the contrary, our spiritual-self has no attachment to anything because our divine-self knows it is not ours. Someday it will belong to another. Sure we use it while we are here, take care of it and perhaps admire it, but it will someday be another person's stuff, it is not really ours.

Material possessions make us feel many things at different times in our lives. Some may stir sentimentality, a sense of accomplishment, safety and even power. The man who holds his father's wedding ring in hand the day he buries his dad will likely have an emotional stir unmatched by anything he's ever felt before. The accomplished business-person who drives up to valet parking on the night of his high school reunion in a prestigious vehicle, has another feeling entirely. Our home and its contents-- from a couch to a set of dishes may make us feel secure and comfortable. Yes, we love our stuff and how it makes us feel.

Illusion. The ironic thing is that the more value you place on anything, be it a car, piece of jewelry or ___(fill in the blank)____, the more you leak your energy to it. You actually lose your personal power by being what is called "object referred", rather than being "self referred." Basically, do you believe you are wonderful because you are a divine creation or because you have a certain degree, own a particular car or have nice "stuff"?

Sadly, many people live beyond their means, basically creating debt to buy things that they believe will make them feel ten shades of wonderful. But the truth is that you are ALREADY ten shades of wonderful, even without your stuff.

Six Thoughts About Having More:

1. All of your possessions require energy to maintain. The nicer the thing, the more the energy it takes. If you had a 1978 Ford Pinto it would take less of your energy than if you had a 2009 Bentley. You would not only pay less to purchase, insure and maintain each of these, but you'd also spend a disproportionate amount of energy in finding a parking space considering if you car door will get doinked. The nicer the stuff, the more it requires from you.

2. Your "things" will never bring happiness to you. You may enjoy them immensely, but real bliss will never come from an object. We are just not wired that way.

3. If you wish to travel through life in a powerful way (not dominating, but rather awake and conscious) you will have to release an attachment to your belongings, which actually hemorrhages your energy to that thing. Is there something you own, that if I asked you to give it away (not sell, but give) that you would get hysterical about doing so? If yes, you are leaking energy to that thing.

4. Your ego will always want more. It is the nature of the ego to never be satisfied with the status quo. This has actually worked to the advantage of humanity since that is what has made any advance possible from space travel to the invention of the light bulb. But in terms of acquisition of material possessions, it works against you when you attach to the object.

5. Simplifying your life, boosts your power. How many email accounts do you have? How many cars do you have to insure, maintain, and drive to keep the battery from dying? Whether you have an art collection worth millions or a library full of precious books, more stuff takes more energy and attention to have and hold.

6. Do you use all of your stuff? I once heard the 80-20 rule. We only use 20% of our stuff and we store or hoard the other 80%. This sounds about right. Can you shed some of your 80% and get it into the hands of someone for whom it would be part of their 20%?

When you attach yourself to something outside your spirit, you weaken yourself. But when you detach there is unmatched freedom! (This is true in relationships too, the more you attach, the weaker you become.) HAVE nice things. ENJOY nice things. CELEBRATE the the nice things you own, just do this without an ATTACHMENT to them.

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