The Broken Buckle

The Broken Buckle

Recently I had a belt buckle break. It wasn’t just any belt buckle…. it belonged to my late Grandmother, Sally who was the Queen of fashion. It was a vintage Gucci buckle that she wore for years prior and gave to me as a gift before she passed away. It was something that I wore often and treasured as it reminded me of her each time I wore it.

When it broke this past weekend I had this feeling of disappointment and sadness that ran through me as I sat holding the two pieces in my hand. So many thoughts rushed through my mind about what I should do with it? Immediately I thought I should repair it because it’s an heirloom and it was hers and I loved it dearly. Then, I thought… maybe this is the time to buy a new one, one that is silver rather than gold. I also thought I don’t need to replace it at all, I could simply live with the other buckles I have and this would be a momento and it was time to let it go.

Repair it or let it go?

My decision was to let it go. I sat with it and thought about my grandmother and how stylish she was and how much joy it brought both of us to share the buckle. I also thought that it was ok to let it go and to know that I could detach myself from any need to hold on to it any longer. It served its purpose and its time for many generations and I was grateful to have worn it. I also realized that I didn’t need to wear the buckle to carry a piece of her with me because I was always carrying a piece of Grandma Sally with me in my heart.

I started thinking… what do you do when something breaks or when something is no longer functioning or working for you? I’m talking beyond a belt buckle. What if we applied this question to a profession, a process, a relationship, a thought, a habit, a situation or an item.

How do you decide what to do when something is no longer working or functioning? How do you know if it’s something worth repairing or if it’s time to replace it with something else? How do you know if it can last a little longer or if it’s time to say goodbye and move on?

Here is what you could consider asking yourself:

What is the why behind your decision to keep it and repair it? Is it time to replace it with something else? Is it better to ignore it and do nothing with it? Would it be ok to eliminate it all together?

The why! The why will get you to the true answer of what to do. Ask yourself why? Why are you making the decision? What is influencing your decision? Is someone influencing you, is guilt or judgement influencing you? Is money influencing you? Is fear influencing you? What if none of these things were influencing you? What would your decision be if it were made solely by you because it was best for you, without anything else attached?

Try it!