your stuff vs. your goals

My trainer friend, Dee, always told my girls and me to think of the horses we ride as business partners. To the extent the horses we ride further our riding goals, they’re a good match. But if and when, a horse isn’t helping meet those goals ~ well, it’s time to find the horse a new job and a new business partner.

I never liked that analogy because I tend to fall in love with the animals I ride. But Dee was right in helping us understand how to be open-handed to better achieve our riding goals.

This 31 day series of enough (and you get free stuff) helped me see the same thing with my stuff. I fall in love with my stuff. But I need to be open-handed and keep my life goals in mind. To continually remember and work toward what ‘enough’ looks like so I can be free to do the things that are most valuable to God and my family.


If the stuff I own furthers my life goals, then it’s a good match. However, if my stuff isn’t furthering my life goals ~ then it’s time to find my stuff a new job and a new business partner.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day moving relentless through my house looking for ill-suited business partners. I found quite a few. And then I wondered what to do … because after packing up and mailing off things I love but no longer use to you during this series, I did discover something wildly amusing: Stuff is very expensive to mail.

So I’ve devised a little plan to help you and to help me with all that stuff. A little more involved than a Goodwill run but I’m hoping more rewarding. I’ll let you know about it tomorrow …

Meanwhile, here’s some of what I learned this month.

L i f e L e s s o n s from E n o u g h:

  • The things in my home should be excellent ‘business partners.’
  • The things in my home should enhance our family life.
  • My things should compliment, not complicate, my life goals.*
  • My things should compliment, not complicate, my home goals. **
  • If I gave something away every single day for the rest of my life, I’d still have more than enough.
  • It blesses and pleases people when you give them things.
  • Rich is a relative term. I am very rich. (Read 7 quick ways to know if you’re rich …)
  • Having more than enough means I have a responsibility to those with less than enough.

 

And on reading this post, I would love your input:

Have you ever thought about your stuff as a business partner? How is the stuff in your home helping or hindering your life goals or your home goals?

 

* Working on writing this one …

** Wrote these home goals almost a year ago, time to rewrite and get specific. I do know one is to not have a house stuffed to the brim for my children to sort through when I am gone.