A time to keep and a time to throw

Nowadays I seem to be running into things. At home, I mean. At first I thought it must be me. On checking, I find its the 'things', not me. I mean, over time we seem to have too many 'things' that have piled up at home. After all, most things are durables and so have to get in my way. Its a few things that are perishable and consumable. Now of the things we have, what we regularly use is anybody's guess. Yet, we still seem to have all of them, and we persist in keeping them.

The solution to my stumbling around is simple. Identify things we don't use or use sparingly, and give or throw them away. I know, easier said than done. Its downright difficult to let things go. Its far easier to buy and keep them. Letting go requires that we not be insecure about the 'lack' of things. But then, most of us are. We tend to think that giving something up isn't a good idea as we may have use of whatever it is we are disposing off, some time in the future. Never mind the fact that this 'use' in the future never ever comes to fruition. And so we end up being saddled with unused stuff.

Being able to give up is a sign of security. Insecurity, on the other hand, translates into a need to possess, and not give away.

As in life, in business too, the time for giving up surely arrives. In the consumer world that means businesses giving up on brands that are either not relevant to consumers or are beyond repair. Over time, consumer tastes evolve. A brand that's worked with a yesteryear consumer may no longer carry the same aura for the successor who follows. That means for a business its time to shed the brand. Or maybe relaunch it a completely with new identity. That's if its feasible. Holding on to brands that have lost their relevance and keeping them as a part of the brand portfolio only means its the start to a firm's stumbles.

Now as for me, I guess its time to take stock. Of what's in use and what isn't. Then it would be a time to throw or give away.

Wish me luck.