I have this little 98 Honda Accord. Her name is Chloe. Now Chloe has been very good to me over the years. But lately she’s been acting…hmm… a bit unruly, so to speak. She has been defiant, insubordinate, and sometimes she even talks back. Now, as you can imagine, this has been a great source of grief to me. I’ve invested so much time, energy, money, and tears…bitter tears into her. Sometimes I think about just abandoning her.
Some days I would literally make myself sick with worry. How am I gonna commute to school? How am I gonna commute to school? But after yet another unplanned trip to the mechanic today, I realized something. Chloe is not who, or what I think she is. In fact, Chloe isn’t Chloe at all. She is just a car, and there are far too many of those in existence for me to be stressing so badly over one.
Too often we place so much emphasis on things. We even humanize objects. We give them names and sometimes they get better treatment than our friends, family, and loved ones, but they are JUST things.
Easily replaceable. If “Chloe” refuses to start when I wake up, you know what? She can be replaced. And that will be the end of that. There will be no memorial, no wake, no funeral services. In fact, the only thing there would be if I got a new car would be joy.
So why do we get so bent out of shape about all these temporary things? Don’t make the common mistake of letting your possessions control your life. A lot of people work day in and day out to attain the American dream for the sole reason of appearances. I see it all the time. Doctors park the nicest cars to grace my line of vision for it to sit 18+ hours in hospital garages. Our image and how we appear to people are often more important to us than our beliefs. Your belongings do not define you.
KNOW WHO YOU ARE. Once you are aware of your identity, you’ll find yourself realizing what is truly important.
LU
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