The Value of Things

I've found myself having this conversation dozens of times over the last 7 years, and as time goes on not only is it easier to have, but it also serves as a healthy reminder to myself of what is important... and what is not.

It doesn't take a catastrophic disaster like 8 feet of water in your house after Hurricane Katrina to experience the loss of things. Sometimes we accidentally misplace things we hold dear. Sometimes those things are taken away from us. "Stuff goes away" is a lesson we've all faced at one point or another. But it's the lesson we take away from those moments that really helps to shape how much value we put on things.

What I have learned is this: Things are just things, and buy insurance.

At the moment I sell insurance. What I usually tell people who ask what I do, though, is I pimp insurance because that's really a more accurate description of what happens on a daily. People needs it, I gots it. I realize that everyone hates the evil insurance companies... you can count me amongst them. However, there are some evils that are necessary, and insurance is one of those things. The government imposes auto insurance on us... we can't avoid it without breaking the law. Then, once you've lost everything you own (except for 3 outfits and your photos), you recognize that while those things are just things, not having insurance surely does suck. It's all replaceable... but at a cost. And that will be the last you'll hear me say in favor of having insurance here on my humble blog.

Sure, I never would have worn that wedding dress again. That baseball card collection was going to continue to collect dust for decades to come. The small appliances, some of which were still in boxes, were going to be rarely - if ever - used. Much more worthwhile is the utterly liberating feeling of being entirely detached from the things we surround ourselves with. It's such a peaceful place to live. You'll also find that if you allow yourself that freedom that you'll need things much less. You'll go into Target and see that fancy, shiny new gadget or product and instinctively your second thought will be, "Would I be ok not having that?" Of course, I say that would be your second thought because your first naturally is "WANT WANT WANT." But the moment you let go of that thought and then let go of the idea of having the thing, you're free.

The other day I overheard a conversation between two ladies where one of the ladies was going on and on about her very expensive purse and these very expensive sunglasses she'd gotten and how she just loves them. And during that brief moment I thought to myself, "and those very expensive things will go away just as quickly and easily as the cheap things." Now, I'm not saying it's not nice to have nice things. It absolutely is, and I don't have any issue with it at all. I've mentioned in a post or two that I'm quite the frugal gal, but it doesn't mean that I don't appreciate certain things... like those bluetooth headphones I just had to have for working out, for example. I, of course, had to rationalize and justify to myself that I needed them and didn't just want them, but that's not really true at all if I'm being honest with myself. What I'm trying to say is that having stuff is not a bad thing. It's the attachment to those things that binds us up sometimes.

Remember those old MasterCard commercials? Here's one for you:

Wedding dress (worn once for 4 hours): $800
Baseball card collection (sitting in a box in the closet for 10 years): $500
Small appliances (like that waffle maker you never used... but could have): $200

Being at peace in your heart and knowing that it's just stuff: PRICELESS