Stuff ruined my life

I spent close to 40 years of my life pursuing, researching, worrying about, cleaning, fixing, storing, talking about, moving, throwing away, hiding, clinging to, lusting over and reading about… Stuff.

Then one day I realized I was spending far more time and energy on stuff than the stuff was worth and in the blink of an eye it changed. I no longer wanted stuff and the stuff I had was suffocating me. I also became quite embarrassed by my wasting 40 years in this pursuit.

Thousands of hours gone, all wasted. Miserable jobs where I traded my time for dollars so that I could buy the next sugar high.

By the time I realized it the sugar highs were all gone, lots of money was gone and I was left with lots of worthless reminders of what I fool I had been.

What about all the stuff that was bought and never used so as to keep it nice. What kind of insanity is this? Thats like not sleeping with your wife because you are saving her for the next guy.

I wasn’t a hoarder, I was a neat freak and I hated clutter. This however contributed to my pursuit. The latest gadget could take the place of two old gadgets so it was ok. Idiot.

I never thought of the whys until that day I changed. What was I really pursuing. The answer wasn’t pretty. Turns out I was unsatisfied with myself and the world around me so I tried to buy it. Stupid stupid stupid. Stupid is as stupid does and I sure did. Jerry Seinfeld does a great bit about watching soda and potato chip commercials with all the beautiful people laughing and smiling and having fun while we sit on the sofa eating and drinking the items advertised.

George Carlin also does a wonderful act on ‘stuff’. I am sure its available on Youtube. I laughed at it for years and never really understood it until that one day.

Stuff should only be used for enjoyment of life experiences. Stuff will never take the place of a person, relationship or experience. There is nothing special about my father’s old car. He isn’t in it and my memories aren’t any better, its just an old car.

Collecting is the most asinine waste of time. If you must collect something go collect names of people who have told you you made their lives better.

A new car won’t get you the right girl. A bigger house won’t save your marriage. Time doesn’t slow down nor is it kinder if read from an expensive watch. Your daughter’s voice saying “hi daddy” doesn’t sound any better on an iphone.

The mind wants its sugar high. It will convince you that you need it. It will disguise your wants as needs. Before you buy the next thing assume you can’t tell anybody you bought it and you can’t show it to anybody. See if that changes your perspective.

Its just stuff. Don’t let it ruin you too.