Living The Life You Actually Have

In my early 20s, my Mom bought me a set of expensive pots and pans. She meant it as a gift for when I get married and set up my own household. But guess what? I never got married or ever left home.

My closet is lined with about a dozen stilletos, tiny clutches and  party clothes.  But I almost never go out to party or paint the town red. If and when I do go out, I'm usually in my uniform of jeans, a polo shirt and ballet flats.

For the last 5 years I've also been collecting a lot of dinnerware and linens meant for hosting a number of themed-parties and intimate dinners. But I cannot even remember the last time I invited friends over.

And through the years I have bought an indeterminate number of bed linens and towels for when I move to a bigger house only to find myself living in same house and bedroom since 1981.

So what's the common denominator? A lot of what I own are things meant for a life I don't have. Some of these items are nowhere near useful or relavant to the life I lead now.

It was only recently that I realized the folly of my ways. As days pass I find that life is indeed too short to buy and save things for an imagined future life.  I also realized that excess stuff that go unused can actually weigh you down. They take up a lot of precious real estate and are a drag to clean and organize. So I did two things in this regard. Marie Kondo will be proud of me. First, I told myself I have more than enough and stopped buying stuff altogether (unless something's broken or we cannot live without it). Second, I started using the good stuff for everyday living. Good linens, china, towels are coming out of storage. Items that have no place in my current living situation are finding their way to new homes with family and friends.

Anyone of you guilty of buying stuff for your future life? Do you keep clothes that don't fit while waiting to lose the weight? Or are you saving the best linen and china for a special occasion? Don't wait. Use the things you love. Enjoy what you have now because the future is not guarenteed. Also, we cannot bring anything with us when we check out anyway. So what's the point of waiting, right?