5 Reasons to Understand the Story of Your Things
5 reasons to understand the story of your things
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Benjamin Moore calls it "White Sand," I call it salvation. It has only taken 20-plus years, but I'm changing out the colors of the bedrooms in our two-story home. The update is subdued and feels like a relief. With the shift, my space reflects who I am at present.
At the core, the objects in our home and our aesthetic preferences reflect our identity. Our stuff comes with the baggage of history and what we bestow on it. Our things are tethered to our stories.
Here we dive into 5 things you can learn about yourself from the things surrounding you and why understanding the stories can help you know yourself better.
What does your living space say about you?
What the Things You Live with Say About You
The cloth tote hanging in the closet with the iconic Andy Warhol Campbell's soup cans reminds me of my sister-in-law, who died a few years ago. I'm sure she purchased it from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I think of her every time I look at it, and I appreciate her sensibilities. She was a New Yorker through and through.
The retractable measuring tape on my desk suggests things are always under construction. It also reveals that I can never find one when I want it unless it's on my desk!
The photos nearby of my husband and me remind me of happy times from our past. They also reflect on how we've aged since those times.
If your things could talk, what would they say? What details of your personality and your former self have collected on your "things?" Indeed the clothes you wear, the furnishings you live with, and even the stuff you store – are megaphones of your story.
Here are five ways to consider the stories of your stuff and why you should pay attention.
“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. ”
What is the backstory to your wall hangings?
The 5 Messages of Your Things
1. Recognize who you've been. Before the white sand, I'm currently painting the walls; they were covered in bold colors such as blue and purple.
The blue was what I selected for my son's room. And the purple in the other room was my alternate option to the jet black my tween daughter was emphatic that she wanted. I'm pretty sure I muscled her out of that choice by offering purple.
These bold colors were probably too loud to sleep with each night, but I gravitated to them when I was younger. In the busy noise of youth, piling on more loud seemed fine.
Now, as I've aged, I've become noise averse—gentler colors with fewer wall hangings – seem important. It's easier on the eye and allows more space for my thoughts.
2. Pinpoint what brings you comfort. The objects I use don't have substantial monetary value but provide priceless comfort. The folded blankets that I pull out on a chilly day, the artwork on the walls with splashes of color and beauty, and the couches and chairs where we relax—these things make the house our home.
Most objects are functional and bring cohesion to your space. The items offer you concrete evidence of your life unfolding—the lamp picked up at a flea market, the bench your dad made years ago. Over time, with use, your daily things shed the price tag spent to acquire them with another kind of value.
3. Express who you are and want to be. The books on my shelves include journals and others’ life stories that have taught me life lessons. Other books are likely placeholders for interests and goals I desire, but I've not yet picked up.
I read Jane Eyre, my favorite book and literary character years ago. She taught me about tenacity. I remember reading the book, an old copy printed in 1885, I'd picked up at a thrift shop, enthralled with the story.
Nearby, I see Helen Keller by Dorothy Hermann. It will probably sit there unread for a while until I can fit it in between my monthly read for book club. I read at a turtle's pace. Still, I'm interested in this woman and want to learn more about her adult life as an activist.
4. Realize Impermanence. Things like living beings wear out over time. Eventually, items are replaced or given away when they no longer serve. This reshuffle of stuff is a reminder that everything has a shelf life. The only permeance: impermanence.
My 2005 Prius continues to provide us with transport. We were industrious when the hybrid battery died a few years ago. Instead of paying the dealer's quote of $4000, we found a company that rebuilds them and purchased one for $1500.
I'd like to think we can drive it for another 15 years, but it may not last that long. Still, it is invaluable to us so long as it runs, no matter its age; growing older adds to its glory.
5. Identify Your Heirlooms. My husband is an artist, so we are fortunate to have the treasure of his art on our walls. He also has a lot of family art, memorabilia, and photos that document his family's history, going back many generations. I didn't bring any heirlooms to the union.
Someday, historical pieces should move to another generation when others sort through our items, but their significance will be lost without the story. Heirlooms are a particular responsibility. If they don't include their story, they may become trash fodder or fall out of the family tree.
Heirlooms are tricky if they have both monetary and historical value. If the treasure of the object is its story, then it's essential to document it. Check out these Heirloom Story Tags for an easy solution to preserve the story of your heirlooms.
What surrounds you and speaks to you?
More Than the Things
We ride this wave of emotion regarding things. Indeed, many of us are buried in more than we need, laboring under the weight to manage it.
And yet we have this intimate relationship with objects as we live with them. They serve us and provide tangible access to our lives by way of form and function, as well as pleasure.
Perhaps there is a sense of peace somewhere in the middle of the two "isms" in our first-world culture, a place between materialism and minimalism. The solace may come with recognizing that we own nothing but merely use it for a time. Our attachments are fluid and temporary. But behind every object in our world, there is a story that provides pleasure and offers life lessons.
Postscript: When things seem out of control like it feels these days, acting where we have control is a comfort. Cleaning up your stuff is within your power! If you need help getting going on organizing your home check out Get Organized Gal’s courses for support.
I used her course to organize my office, and it is in pretty good shape these days. Success in one space has lead to cleaning channels to other rooms and photos as well. Check out he courses here.
Sherry and Alexandra Borzo together in Lima, Peru
Sherry is the founder of Storied Gifts a personal publishing service of family and company histories. She and her team help clients curate and craft their stories into books. When not writing or interviewing, Sherry spends loads of time with her grandchildren and lives in Des Moines, Iowa.
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The shop is a mother and daughter venture for Sherry and Alexandra Borzo of Content In Motion. They both work to help their client's stories sing. The shop is their effort to inspire a focus on healthy minds for everyone through positive thought.
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