A Few Items I Treasure

What possessions bring you joy?

Hi friends,

Aside from books, journals and comfortable shoes, I tend to be wary of accumulating physical possessions, for they can own us if we’re not careful. Bigger homes, second cars, more furniture, new clothes: They require more of our precious time, maintenance, money, attention and care, of which we have limited supply.

As John Lennon sang, Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can.

Lennon wasn’t speaking literally, for we do need at least a few items to get by, including clothing, food, and, in his case, a couple of musical instruments. Yet his wishes in the brilliant song Imagine are worth exploring because, as he told The New Yorker in 1972, the mere thought of his possessions had been “clogging my mind.”

There’s a joyful art to reducing, simplifying and decluttering. We can also simplify the physical world around us through cleaning, organizing and donating. In doing so, we amplify the possessions we do have. They rise in our hierarchy, if you will, and become brighter lights in our lives. That’s part of the magic in simplifying.

I do treasure a few possessions that come with me almost everywhere I go. They are functional, beautiful and portable. Each item comes with memories and a story. Meditating on the items we love is also an exercise in gratitude, which brings up this idea from the wonderful site, Grateful Living:

“When you take nothing for granted, life is abundant.”

Here are my favorite items:

Journals: My No. 1 physical possession, for they contain thoughts, feelings, quotes, essays, stories, and memories. At left is my pocket commonplace journal, for random thoughts and observations, mostly on the go. The largest journal below is a traditional journal for reflections and activities such as morning pages, which author Julia Cameron says “provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand.” The third journal is a “five-year memory book,” where each page includes an entry for five successive years.

I’ve journaled regularly since eighth grade. Journaling is a way to transport in time, to clear one’s mind, and to revisit past versions of ourselves. More here on the craft and beauty of journaling.

Pencils, pens and pencil case: I enjoy writing by hand in notebooks. Though typing on a computer is faster, there’s something special about putting pencil (or pen) to paper. Sometimes, I feel ideas and connections flow easier. There’s less to be distracted about, and writing by hand seems to slow down one’s perception of time. Usually, I opt for a yellow Ticonderoga pencil, the same ones I used throughout school. For pens, I love Japanese-made Uni-Ball, which makes it feel as though your ink is gliding across the page.

Laptop, headphones: I’m typing these words on that laptop while listening to music via a set of headphones. That laptop is ideal for travel because it’s light… good for being on the road, writing in the car, on trains and planes, or at coffee shops.

Reusable water bottles: To hydrate our bodies and souls with water throughout the day is to take good care of ourselves. Though we have new beverages on the market daily, I come back to water again and again, with or without lemon. Drinking water and standing up from the desk every half hour or hour provides an energy boost to keep going, keep creating.

White noise machine: To foster a calm, zen experience either while reading in a quiet room or falling asleep.

Letters and cards: In a digital age of texts and notifications, old-fashioned cards, post cards and thank-you notes carry heightened meaning. They are timeless.

Pebbles: A few pebbles don’t always come with me, but I try to fit them into my pockets on occasion. I started this practice about five or six years ago as a reminder to myself: Every time I get the urge to pull out my phone, touch the rocks instead. E

The rocks remind me of the beauty of nature, planet Earth, and how everything we have is a result of the natural world. I have rocks and pebbles from beaches and national parks, everywhere from New York and Florida to California and Washington’s Olympic National Park.

So, what physical items do you treasure? Meditating on what we do have, without craving more, is a form of gratitude.

May we take stock of the precious items around us, without needing to upgrade, consume, envy, and acquire.

What possessions bring you joy?

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A Few Things That Caught My Attention This Week:

• Creating an Observation Heart, from

  Mansi Kwatra

• What I know, a list at 60, from

  Elissa Altman

• The ‘busy’ trap by Tim Kreider

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Parting thoughts: “There's nothing more important on our spiritual path than developing gentleness to oneself.” — Pema Chödrön

“We’re here for a little window. And to use that time to catch and share shards of light and laughter and grace seems to me the great story.” — Brian Doyle

Celebrate your gifts,

Matthew