Your Material Possesions Don’t Define You
We just celebrated the most materialistic holiday of them all, of which I was a willing and active participant, which continues to fuel the value placed upon “things.”
The Universe gave me a friendly reminder not to value things too much.
Ang and the boys gave me a pair of Ugg Tasman slippers, which are ridiculously comfortable; I didn’t take them off yesterday, and as soon as I woke up this morning, I put them on to head downstairs to make my morning coffee and write this note. I grabbed one of my family trip coffee mugs, dropped in a frozen coffee pod, and added the hot water (every summer, I make a new coffee mug with photos from our annual summer trip to New Buffalo, Michigan); this mug had its handle break off but with some TLC and superglue it was back in commission, and I’ve used it numerous times without any issues.
Well, today was that mug's last day as a part of my morning routine.
I took two steps toward the table and then I felt the mug fall out of my hand, only I still had the handle in my hand. Like a movie, I watched my coffee mug fall in slow motion onto the kitchen floor and coffee splash all over the cabinets, floor, and, of course, my new slippers.
I immediately noticed the small drop of coffee that landed on my slipper–anger was my immediate reaction.
I wasn’t angry about the coffee because I knew I could clean it off the floor and cabinets. I wasn’t angry about the coffee mug because I have plenty of others, and I’ll just keep that one for decoration and the memories. I wasn’t even angry about the small dent in the floor because it’s hardly noticeable, and after 16 years in our house with three boys, we have plenty of knicks on the floor–it adds character.
But the slippers—the brand new slippers had me heated. I’d only had a chance to wear them once, and now they have a stain that won’t come out. I knew every time I put them on, the stain would be the first thing I’d see, and the imperfection would annoy me.
After I cleaned up the mess, told Ang what happened, and re-centered my energy because I didn’t want more of the same to happen throughout the day, I reminded my Self they were just slippers. Just shoes. Eventually, they were going to show signs of wear and imperfections on them–who cares if it was day 2 or 200 that they had a splash of coffee land on them?
The slippers will still keep my feet warm, and it will feel like I’m walking on clouds when I wear them; the coffee stain doesn’t take away from their purpose and effectiveness.
Now, the coffee stain has a greater purpose. It will always remind me to detach my Self from the material possessions in my life; while I don’t think I’m too attached to “things”, I obviously am at times, judging by my initial response to the spill.
So remember, we are not the things we own and are not defined by our materialistic possessions, despite the value we have attached to them–use my experience this morning as your reminder so you can avoid having the Universe delivering the same message using your new slippers (or car, or shirt, or whatever).
“Earthly possessions dazzle our eyes and delude us into thinking that they can provide security and freedom from anxiety. Yet all the time they are the very source of anxiety.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,
JC
