|
Blog: The Pile High Club--how NOT to become a member
 FREE doesn't make something a gift
One bit of email clutter I will cop to: blogs. I have quite a few on my RSS feed. Some days I don't read them all, some days I do. One I really dug for a while was Seth Godin's. (stick with me, this is going somewhere…)
This past Saturday I held my 5th Annual Closet Swap. If you're a regular reader, you know that I love holding this event as it is a chance for me to help friends clear our their closets and bring in items they no longer wear or use, as well as a chance for all of us to get free clothing, shoes, handbags, accessories, etc. in exchange. Who wouldn't love that?
While I do love the idea of FREE stuff, recycling, and finding a good home for items you no longer wear, one of Seth's blogs has stuck with me and I think it fits well with regard to the Closet Swap. He writes,
"Free doesn't make something a gift. Free might be a marketing strategy, free might make a generous present, but free doesn't automatically make something a gift.
… The way I understand gifts is that the giver must make a sacrifice, create an uneven exchange, bring himself closer to the recipient, create change and do it all with the right spirit. To do anything less might be smart commerce, but it doesn't rise to the magical level of the gift."
So this had me thinking as my Closet Swappers rifled through all the items, tried things on and threw them into their "keep" pile. Even though it is tempting to take as many items as possible from the closet swap because they are free, it's important to keep in mind that the whole idea of the swap is to clear out your closet and remove things that don't 100% suit you and your needs. So it's imperative not to bring anything back into your closet that doesn't fit that same bill, even if it was free.
The same goes for any item from a friend, neighbor, family member or conference you've attended. Free doesn't make something a gift. And a gift is not an obligation. Think about that as you look around your home at things that have been given to you over the years (that you didn't like then and you still don't like now). Why not let them go?
posted on: 8/2/2010 10:30:00 AM by Heather Lambie
category: Paper
The Pile High Club--how NOT to become a member: < Previous Post - Next Post >
Blog Central: < Previous Post - Next Post >
 Discuss This Post
There are no comments.
|
|
The Pile High Club--how NOT to become a member
by Heather Lambie
View This Blog
 Subscribe To This Blog
About Heather:
My Husband - "Honey, how thin can you spread yourself before you're no longer there?" Me - "I don't know. But I'm in it to win it, so we may have to find out."
Heather's Website:
www.yourhomeeditor.com
Favorite Websites
- The Sartorialist
This site appeases my hunger for all things New York, reminds me of my time there, and gives me great ideas for unconventional looks.
- Toffee To Go
They are located in Tampa, very near me, but they deliver/ship nationally. They have THE BEST toffee EVER. It's buttery, salty, sweet--all my favorite things in one bite.
- The Container Store
I know this is a no-brainer for an organizer...but this place really turns me on!
- The Poetry Foundation
- Because I Said So (blog)
As a mom myself, this mom of 6 (!!!) has me in stitches.
- Michael Buble
If I wasn't happily married, I might be stalking him. Bar none, the best voice and best sense of humor!
Quotes That Move Me
- General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
"The truth of the matter is, you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it."
- Ivern Ball
"Most of us ask for advice when we know the answer but we want a different one."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The secret of education is respecting the pupil."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen."
- Abigail Van Buren
"The best index to a person's character is how he treats another person who can't do him good, and how he treats people who can't fight back."
- Dorothy Galyean
"Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere."
- Aristotle
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
- Mark Twain
"To be satisfied with what one has; that is wealth. As long as one sorely needs a certain additional amount, that man isn't rich."
- Jackie Kennedy
"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much."
Places I'm Dying to Visit
- Hawaii
Any how, any way, any time.
- Los Cabos, Mexico
- China
- Japan
- Alaska (via cruise ship)
- Marbella, Spain
Places I've Already Been
- Australia (Sydney)
- New Zealand
- Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora
- London
- Paris
Spent only one day here (took the Chunnel from London when I was there) but it was one amazing, beautiful day where I walked the flea markets, visited the Louvre, people-watched and used all 6 senses to experience it.
- Trinidad & Tobago
My husband is from here, so we go several times a year to visit family.
- Italy (Milan, Vicenza)
- Jamaica
Things I'd Like To Do Before I Die
- Run a leg with the Olympic torch before the games begin
- See the monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico
- Ride a horse on the beach (in the water)
- See a prize fight (boxing) in Las Vegas
- Run the NYC Marathon
I ran the Disney Marathon in 2000 (pre-kids). Would love to run another post-kids, to prove I can.
- Have washboard abs.
- Eliminate self doubt.
- Own an apartment in Manhattan.
- Watch the ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve.
- Take an RV trip down the coast of California.
|
www.OnlineOrganizing.com is a service mark of Bradford, LLC.
