At Downsizing Diva, as we help people through the emotional process of downsizing, we hear the same excuses over and over.
The fact that these “treasured” gifts have been stored away for years industy boxes in the basement doesn’t seem to matter. Uncovering them again... brings back memories and it’s all about the memories, not the stuff!
When one of our Divas downsized from a bungalow to a small(ish) condo, she found there was way more stuff than her new home could handle. Many of the items she was going to have to part with were gifts from friends, so she sent them this email:
In just over a month, I will be moving from my little bungalow to my new downtown “skypod” and I have been practicing what I preach and letting go of things that will not fit in my new home. Gotta tell you... downsizing is a much harder to do when it’s your own stuff!
Now, I think I’m ready for my Contents Sale being held this weekend so I wanted to tell you about the sale and ask for a favour!
You see, I’ve had to let go of a lot of treasures and some of these items were gifts from my family and friends!
Here’s the favour part... if you come to the Contents Sale and see something you gave me, please don’t be upset. Know your gift was enjoyed and used and now it’s time to let it go. Julie Andrews said it so well in her song... “These are a FEW of my favourite things.” She didn’t sing about ALL of them!
By the way, I’m moving to my new place in October. I’ll let you know where and when and hope you’ll drop in. Thanks for understanding!
You are the BEST!
This experience lead us to suggest people consider giving experiential gifts to family and friends and discover how these gifts can connect them in a whole new way! It’s all about sharing the experience!
Experiential gifts...
- Come from the heart. It’s not all about the place or the activity, it’s a gift of your time that you choose to spend with someone special.
- Don’t have to cost alot of money, but may require advance planning.
- Are unique. Life is an adventure. Think outside the box and design a wonderful activity to create a memory lasting long after the day is over.
- Are about connecting. Do something you both enjoy... go to the zoo,visit a park, plan a theatre night, a picnic, a train ride or a flight in a hot air balloon! As the Nike ads say... “Just do it!”
- Are “warm and fuzzy”. Think about something you could do that would mean the world to a special friend or family member?Are they into sports or culture? Would they enjoy a calm, gentle activity or something dare-devilish? Or would a quiet visit over tea and talking do the trick?
- Create memories.
As Mikey used to say...“try it, you’ll like it”.
