Do You Really Need That?

Need Is a Four-Letter Word

Sometimes, the best choice is to leave space—for breath, for peace, and for that thing you haven't even imagined yet.~unknown 

I've been reflecting a lot on the subject of death. Not in a way that requires anyone's intervention. Instead, I've been thinking about how, when you pass away, you leave behind a multitude of physical belongings, including, but not limited to, photo albums, furniture, clothes, books, tools, diaries, money, and tons more. 

And the people who are left behind are the ones who go through your stuff. 

Then I started pondering about death, living in the present moment, and how that connects to when you die. If you were truly living in the now—meaning right now—what possessions would you be holding onto that, in the event of your death, would end up in someone else's hands, who then decides whether to keep, donate, or throw them away. 

I ask you: do you really need that?

Thinking about death has led me to re-evaluate everything I own by asking, Do I really need this? I've begun giving items away or throwing them out slowly. I want what I leave behind to be meaningful rather than random and insignificant. I'd like to think that the person who goes through my belongings might want to keep a piece of it for themselves or share it with another. The thought of that makes my soul feel good.  

Death. Everyone dies eventually, and life will continue regardless. My current preference is to pare down and keep things simple because, in the grand scheme of living, stuff is just that—stuff.