Possessions—do you own them, or do they own us? I suppose that the answer to the first part is yes—we own possessions. But whether they own us is the real question. Many people live in a cluttered world. We have garages that we can’t fit our cars into because they’re filled with stuff. We build bigger homes because we need more space. We rent storage units and buy storage sheds for the same reason. Our clutter is important—at least to us. But does it own us? Does it dictate and control our lives? I’m sure we’d like to say that it doesn’t, but it does own us. Still unsure? When was the last time you purged your life of your stuff? How did that go for you?

I understand that the biggest problem with possessions is the memory tied to them. Why? Because, like many people, I have things that remind me of the past—memories of trips, locations, or the person who gave me the item—all of which seem to beg to be kept rather than discarded. It feels like getting rid of the object is the same as losing the memory, but it’s not. Letting go of an object becomes hard because it’s linked to a memory. Is there a way to find an answer?

We all hold on to things. Some find it much easier to get rid of stuff. Clutter isn’t in their vocabulary. I envy people who can do that; I, on the other hand, have a harder time letting go. But I’m working on it. Like bad habits, they only lose their grip on us when we first admit it’s a problem, then set a goal, develop a plan, and work the plan. Remember, a goal without a plan is just a dream.

I believe our clutter can also show up in our spiritual life. We cling to traditions just because we’ve always done them. It’s easy to become so captivated by the tradition that we forget the God behind it. Sometimes, these traditions remind us of good or happy memories. However, we can get stuck spiritually because we always follow the same routine. Think about it.