Less Things, More Peace
Isn’t it interesting, that the wisdom we find, is often already within us
We know much of it inherently, yet we lose sight of it
That lightbulb moment is often a remembrance of what we’ve forgotten
What we once knew as true, yet lost sight of
Less things, more Peace
“The things you own end up owning you.
It’s only after you lose everything that you’re free to do anything.”
Tyler Durden — Fight Club — Chuck Palahniuk
It is amazing how we chase material possessions
Speaking from personal experience, I found myself back in Paradigm of More Things today
Amazon’s Prime Day (which is now two-days….ironically) is expected to generate 14 billion dollars in sales, with Amazon’s biggest day of the year coming on day-one — Reuters
Leading up to this, I found myself wondering what things I needed, what promotions I could take advantage of what
I use Amazon for many of my personal items: laundry detergent, deodorant, toothpaste, protein powder, etc.
These items are temporary
I don’t hold permanent space for them, they are replaceable figuratively and literally
Like all of us, I do have a few guilty pleasures material items
One in particular that seems to take up more and more physical space….
Books
As I found myself looking at prime day deals, I recognized something
That these material possession are starting to sway my thinking, my emotions
While I found myself ordering new books, I already own a half-dozen that are still unread
Why do I continue adding my own mini-library?
“Because it is a good deal, and I should take advantage of this promotion”
Well shoot, you got me Amazon
The promotion won today
The sense of urgency that promotion generates can have an enormous impact on our buying decisions
Side Note:
(I’ve noticed a variation of my grocery purchases based on sale-items)
(Why did I get more blueberries than I could possibly eat?)
It seems we have this sense of gathering, acquiring, collecting things
Without realizing the expanded space this requires
Both mentally and physically
These material objects begin to take up space in our lives
We become attached to things, without even realizing it
How many things do you have, that are rarely even used?
Yet you find space for them
You make room for them
You are unwilling to part with them, despite the lack of functional utility
Over time, what happens?
We continue to accumulate more and more
We refuse to let go of what we’ve replaced
To the point where the thought of everything we own becomes overwhelming
In a sense, we become captive to our material possessions
Unable to take advantage of what could be
What we own, ends up owning us
Do all of these things really bring us happiness?
No, they don’t
They bring a temporary high, a sense of immediate-gratification when first acquired
Over time, shiny objects lose their luster
We look for something new to fill the void that our current possessions no longer can
So we buy more things
And the cycle repeats
Today is a learning experience for me
That I still fall into the Paradigm of More Things
While there was a sense of excitement upon ordering, I quickly wondered,
“What about the books I already have?”
So I pose this question to you
What about the things you already have?
When is enough, enough?
Before you make that purchase, ask yourself one more thing
Is there any truth to Less Things, More Peace?
Thought of the Day: 07–16–2024