It's funny, or tragic, how we hold on to things that make us feel miserable. I do it, but in saner moments, I wonder why I think I deserve that kind of punishment.

I say shred the damn papers and stop torturing yourself. You'll be amazed at how good you feel afterwards and will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. And if there are twinges of uncertainty or regret, the papers will be gone and you'll have to move on. The sting will go away in a few days and you probably won't even remember the report in time. Hanging on to stuff gives it an importance it doesn't really have. At least that's been my experience.

I know it's not easy. Most of us are probably in therapy because we can't let go of one thing or another. I suffer a lot with sentimental attachments, but as I've gotten older I've trained myself to be much better about throwing stuff out. It feels amazing - so freed up. Right now I'm trying to drum up the courage to throw out my beloved previous cat's medicine bottles. He died two years ago. When I look at the bottles I feel bad: he hated the medicine and I was devastated by his illness. Why do I want to relive those bad feelings rather than have beautiful reminders around?