Disclaimer: There is going to be no programming content on this one.
Things do have an effect on you, or so I've come to realize. They are just things, but it's easy to tie your self worth to it. It was a difficult pill to swallow, but the effects of letting them some of them go were instantaneous. The good news is that you don't need to get rid of them to become free of the invisible ties of objects.
Motorcycles
For me it was a Yamaha Mt-10, it was sweet sweet machine. Riding it was pure joy, but I did not realize all the other ways it affected me, maybe I just chose not to. I recently wrote about why I needed to sell it. It was one my worry, loosing the motorcycle. When I lost my job, it felt like the like the motorcycle was the only thing that warranted respect, status, etc towards myself. Sounds silly, vane, superficial, yes I know, but it's true. I've been working on them with my therapist (I'll leave that for another day).
It wasn't until, I decided I was ready to let it go about three months ago, that I noticed instantaneously a sense of relief, like a weight had been lifted. Recently, I was going somewhere, when I realized I no longer wanted another motorcycle. Maybe I'll change my mind later, but that experience taught me something important. How easily, something can become a part of your identity. The truth of the matter is that you were something before it and you'll continue to be someone after.
Now, I'd also like to say that, there are some things that I own that are really nice. Somehow they don't have the same effect. Most of them are things I use daily. Like my keyboard (Kinesis by the way), or my weightlifting shoes. Probably because most people don't care about or even notice them.
You just need to be willing to let things go
I did say earlier that you don't need to get rid of the things that you feel hold you down. For me, the moment I decided I was ready to let it go, I felt free from the clutches of the motorcycle.
As I'm writing this, I do realize it might be a me problem, in fact it most definitively is. If you are one of these people too, I hope you are able to break free.
Not a hoarder
Just like to put it out there that I'm not a hoarder. I have a very empty house, with mostly things that I use. It's something I realized a after I moved houses a few times. I've made sure to throw or give away the old when I get something new. Clutter does make me a bit anxious, on the other hand, space makes me feel free.
This felt really silly to write and put it on my site, so for that reason I'll leave it in.