IDP Blog

Featured Articles

Consumption: Week 4 of Fewer Books: Letting Go

Submitted by Sharon Salzberg on Thu, 4/26/2012, 10:38am
Category: 
Tags: 

I’m sorry this is the last week of this process, though it has had a good effect and perhaps it’s time to move on to other lessons in letting go. I packed up 10 books today for a writer friend, and another 10 for my local Goodwill, a very nice addition to my neighborhood. Sad to say, visually it doesn’t really make much of a dent yet in my apartment. (And that doesn’t even take into account my house in Barre.) You still do walk in to my apartment and see piles of books – but I’m working on it. I passed through Penn station yesterday without stopping at the bookstore. I walked by Barnes and Noble today without going in. I felt at peace about that. I’m looking through all the books before I give them away, and appreciating my purchases. And also appreciating letting go, being happy for the people who will read them. Maybe IDP should start a lending library, and I’d have another repository for those piles of great books, and another source of great joy as I imagine many people reading.

 

We are on this journey as a community.  Read all the Responsible Consumption posts and follow along as we examine our habits.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Log in
to vote
358
Vote for this article to appear in the Recommended list.
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Share this

Comments

Sometimes we really have to

Submitted by merrick on Tue, 6/11/2013, 5:16am.

Sometimes we really have to let go others for us to have space for another that would come in our life. We have to accept the fact that not everyone will stay for us. Sometimes we both need time to really think our worth. They may be special and important to us, but the idea that, we both need to think and choose what is really for us.
sports photography sports photos

I read what you said and it

Submitted by carmend888 on Wed, 3/13/2013, 7:53am.

I read what you said and it is really nice that you can offer and help your friends! About the lending library I don't know what to say. We should read more about it! Maybe you should start with some free online ebooks. At least that is my personal opinion!

Thank you

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 12/23/2012, 11:36am.

I decided to check out your site while reading your book "faith" (from the library), which the meditation group I attend will be reading. I will be using a purchased copy of the book for the group, as I am compelled to underline and highlight!

Anyway, the first posts I noticed were this series on letting go of books. I have been working on this myself for some time. I use the library a lot, and don't buy novels anymore, but books on faith, etc., or nature, I have many. I have been slowly weeding them out, and actually have some gaps now on my shelves, instead of an overflow. I have been trying to remember that "if it's not blessing my life, pass it on to bless someone else's". It's not easy to let go of possessions, especially books, beloved or unread. It's a process which I continue to work on.

Thanks for your writings - I am getting so much out of them!

Thank you

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 8/7/2012, 11:27am.

Thank you for sharing this project. It's challenging -- I do want to support my local bookstore (having given up Amazon, mostly, for ethical reasons), but I could certainly be more thoughtful about buying and more generous about giving away. The local library does welcome donations; those books that don't make it onto the shelves go to the monthly used book sale, which raises funds for the library.

Give them away

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 6/6/2012, 7:30pm.

Ms. Salzberg,

I just read your four posts about letting go of books. Thank you. They were encouraging to me, and I encourage you to continue. Over the last two years (it is a long process), I have decreased the number of books that I own from over 1000 to about 20. I feel much more freedom in my living space, and my bank account thanks me. I am now committed to using libraries to find what I need and want to read. If I do buy a book, which is rare, then I donate it to my local library after I am finished with it. Now, others can enjoy it and I can check it out if I want to read it again. I also feel great by supporting my local library by using it and donating to it. All the best to you as you pare down your personal library.

Doug

Site developed by the IDP and Genalo Designs.