Over the last week or so I've been systematically going through my house and sorting my various possessions into two piles: What I'll keep and what I'll get rid of. So far I've managed to cull quite a bit of my possessions, which I'm pleased about because they can hold you down sometimes. This time of year is perfect for this kind of work. People are in a reflective mood, looking back over the previous year, while also starting to plan toward the future, like Janus. The act of sorting your possessions is simultaneously a releasing of the past and an embrace of the future. You let go of what is holding you back and open yourself up to the possibilities.

You might not think that your possessions would weigh you down to the past, other than through the obvious physical reality they embody, but with anything you have there is always an emotion and memory attached to it, if not more than one. In some cases you can rewrite those memories by making new ones. I've done that a lot over the last few years, but in other cases, it can be good to just let go of the memories and emotions by letting go of the possessions. In my case that includes letting go of 8 crates of books, which served their purpose, but now is just a lot of weight, emotionally and physically to continue carrying around.

Letting go of a physical object and the emotions associated with it is ultimately a freeing experience. You are no longer reminded, by its presence, of those memories or the emotions associated with them. You let go of that piece of your past and its hold on you. The resultant freedom is something that can surprise you. You probably don't realize just how much you are carrying with you until you let it go. You aren't just free of that physical object, but also of the metaphysical aspects of it.

Take a look at your own possessions. What are you holding onto and why are you holding on to it? Is holding onto it beneficial to you or is just keeping you in some places you'd be better off letting go? Only you can answer those questions, but as you answer them, look around at what you have and consider that what you own also owns you. Recognizing that can help you decide if something is worth keeping or worth letting go.

When we clear out our possessions, we also open ourselves to possibility. One of the reasons I'm going through my things is because I am planning on moving in the next year and I want to move as few things as possible. I'm also freeing up some space where I live now to rearrange the place and make it into something even more comfortable than it was. Each of these possibilities presented themselves as a result of opening myself to getting rid of what I no longer needed. Both will be realized in their own ways, but the very act of letting of possessions can be an intentional act that signals you are ready for change, ready for possibilities.

What are you willing to let go of? What possibilities do you want to come in your life?