So, I've been doing some more thinking about that Shoe Guy, Blake Mycoskie.

He's the founder of TOMs shoes, where for every pair they sell, they give a pair away to children in need. (I seriously never get tired of seeing his AT&T commercial.) I've been thinking a lot about how I could put into practice this 1-to-1 ratio of giving.

And I ran into something pretty simple just the other day. I had gone shopping with a friend, and I came home with two pairs of shoes, a sweater, and two pairs of pants (we had gone to the big city of Portland to shop, so it was shopping with a purpose!). When I got home and started putting the items away, Blake the Shoe Guy popped into my mind.

And I knew what I could do.

As I put a new pair of shoes into my closet, I found a pair to give away to my local Goodwill store. I did the same with the pants, the sweater, and the other pair of shoes.

And it wasn't hard at all...well, not too hard.

I'm an employed American. Odds are, I'm going to have more than I need in my closet--and I do. But this time I wasn't giving things to Goodwill because they had worn out to where I wasn't going to wear them anymore (but someone else might) or because I had forgotten they were hanging in my closet (and had been since 1997). In the spirit of the 1-to-1 ratio, I gave away clothes I liked (and still wore) and shoes I liked and still wore (I confess, that was harder than the clothes!). After all, TOMs wasn't giving loser shoes to these kids in need, so I shouldn't try to get away with giving loser items either.

Two good things have come of this little exercise.

First, it's good that giving should sometimes cost me more than I might really want to give--especially because of who might receive it. Someone who might never have been able to afford it in a department store is going to find a cool green sweater in Goodwill that's still going to look good this fall. When I look at it this way, it's a lot easier to give away things I love. Someone else can enjoy them too!

Second, I'm going to think long and hard before purchasing new clothes and/or new shoes from here on out--because something in my closet (and something I love) is going to have to go when I do. Slowing down my consumeristic tendencies is always good (don't tell the capitalists!).

So, thanks once again, Shoe Guy. You've shown me a better way.