In your writing life, you will find that it’s easy to let go of some things, and much harder to let go of others. One of the items it’s difficult to let go of is books. After all, you’re a writer… why would you get rid of books?

The reality is that we fill our lives with clutter, especially in the modern world where we have so much access to almost everything we could ever want. But when you consider the books on your shelf, some of them were relevant to your life a decade or two ago, but they no longer have a place. You have outgrown the ideas in those books. You have moved on. And every time you see those books, you feel guilty because you know you don’t need them any longer, but you just can’t bring yourself to let them go.

It’s hard to hear, but true: you can’t make room for new ideas or new blessings in your life if you keep on hanging onto books that no longer serve your vision.

When you pass along those books to someone who can benefit from them, you not only free up space in your office or home, you also bless someone else. In fact, you are doing a disservice to a book if you hang onto it after it’s no longer relevant to your life.

A book WANTS to bless others, so the best thing you can do is pass it along. It’s not meant to be a collector’s item—it’s meant to change people. So give your books a chance to do that by giving them away to friends, donating them to goodwill, or selling them.

It’s OK to recognize the value something has had in your life, then let it go. When you do, you will make room for new and more relevant books that can take you to whatever destination you are going.