[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

Okay I have to jump in and say that I did indeed create a folder called "Stuff I don't need." But that's only because, "Stuff I probably won't need but am too afraid to throw out in case I'm wrong" was too long to fit on the label.

And I do still have that file.

To quote Steve from his article, Purging:

There are a few rules that have served me well whenever I go through a purge cycle:

1. When in doubt, throw it out.

That said, I can definitely relate, Erin. I tend to keep a lot of things (especially on my computer) that most people would say I should get rid of, but usually end up being useful (or very frustrating if I did take their advice and get rid of it). Generally I find that so long as I'm addressing purging when fairly conscious (as opposed to trying to do it when I’m in some sort of zombie-like stupor ), if I feel resistance to getting rid of something it's usually because that resistance is trying to tell me something important.

Sometimes it's your subconscious (which tends to have access to many more mental resources then your limited conscious mind) telling you: "Stop! you still need that". Sometimes it fear telling you: "Oop, don't go getting rid of that... don't do anything too crazy now... perhaps you should go and sit in that nice, safe corner and stay away from the scary world out there".

I find its best to acknowledge the resistance and accept it so that you can figure out what it's trying to tell you and what you can learn from it... kind of like what Steve spoke about in the article this thread is discussing (Understanding Human Relationships). On that note, there is also this to consider from the same article I quoted above:

[...]
2. Ask, “What would be the worst-case outcome if I threw this item out by mistake?” If the answer is little or nothing, throw it out.
3. Could someone else benefit from this item more than I would?

And finally, some further wisdom from the article that some of you may find insightful (particularly if you're trying to make an identity shift, as Steve describes in his Podcast #18 - Faster Goal Achievement):

I often ask myself, “Does this item still have energy for me?” when considering whether or not to purge something. Although the phrasing may be a little new agey for some people, I just think of it as a short-hand method for consulting my intuition. If I don’t sense that a part of me is invested in keeping the item, I feel confident that purging it is the right choice.

Woah... that's a lot of quotes.