“Follow through on all your generous impulses.” –Epictetus

Designate a day as “giving away” day. Pack up all the clothes you no longer wear. Clean your cupboards of all the pots, pans, utensils, and dishes that you don’t use. Do the same for the closets where you store the debris from your life – the kids’ old toys or the lamp you swore you needed but could never find a place for. Pack it all in bags and take it to your favorite charity. (I like to donate things to the battered women’s shelter in my town rather than to a thrift store because the women receive the things for free.)

As you go through the process, notice your train of thought. What objects are you willing to let go of? Which ones must you keep? What thoughts go through your mind as you sort? Do you hold onto somethings, believing that you will need them later even though you haven’t used it yet in ten years? Do you think it’s too good to give away even though you don’t really want it? Do your possessions make you feel safe?

M. J. Ryan in Radical Generosity