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Things: We Own Them, They Don't Own Us
How do we become more skillful in our relationship to things? Much of our lives is spent purchasing, returning, taking care of, cleaning, putting away, moving, and getting rid of things. We acquire possessions through purchase, gifts, and inheritance. Once we are owners, possessions demand a large portion of our life energy. What do we do with the things we no longer use and the things that belonged to the people we loved dearly? Our choices about possessions shape our lives.
Most of us experience a complex range of intense emotions toward possessions. As Americans, we are trained consumers. We often purchase with mixed feelings, however. We know we have too much stuff. At the same time, we often feel, in fact are conditioned to feel, that we don't have enough.
Gaining a deeper understanding of your relationship to the material world can enhance your enjoyment of the things you have. It helps to recognize that you're conditioned to want more things. Strong desires power our economy. An American Buddhist teacher, Sharon Salzburg, tells a story about a friend who said that when she was learning to talk,her favorite phrases were: "I need it! I want it! I have to have it!" For many of us, this is an ongoing mantra of our lives.Understanding both the will to own and the impact of owning can free us to let go of things we no longer want or need.
