What object (aside from technology) could you not live without?
There’s a lot of things that make our lives better. Emphasis on the word things. What came up for you when you thought about an object that you can’t live without, aside from technology. Was it easy or was it hard to figure this out? For a lot of us, we have a major connection to THINGS. It’s how we end up with closets, cars, garages, and homes full of STUFF.
But the real question is, do we really, actually NEED any of it? Most of times the answer is a big no. As a culture, we’re pretty obsessed with consumption. The average person owns over 300,000 things in their home and we consume twice as many material goods today than we did 50 years ago. Isn’t that crazy? That is SO. MUCH. STUFF.
And stuff isn’t always a good thing. Oftentimes we think it’ll buy us status, or coolness, or happiness but it doesn’t. Having too much stuff actually just makes us feel weighed down, stressed out, and it makes our energy feel stifled. So stiffled. The opposite, which is living a more minimalist lifestyle, can free us from the pursuit of things. There’s a popular book called the life changing joy of tidying up by marie kondo that has revolutionized the idea of getting rid of all these things that we have, in a effort to feel more joy.
Look around your own room, apartment, or home. Do you feel like you have too many things? Most of us do. Because we accumulate all of this stuff over time without figuring out a way to get rid of things as we go.
So if you feel like you have too much stuff, things that you CAN live without, start with a spring cleaning. And don’t be afraid to get rid of things. Heres A couple tips to do that. first, are to ask yourself with each item you go through: does this bring me joy? You’ll know immediately if it’s something that does or doesn’t. If it doesn’t, Get rid of it. Immediately. Don’t even try to talk yourself into or out of keeping it. A great thing to do with clothes, specifically, is to give yourself a date. For example, anything that hasn’t been worn in the last year needs to go. It creates really clear boundaries for getting rid of things.
Our friend April did this one year when she was traveling for a few months. She put everything she owned into storage. After months of traveling she realized how little she missed any of the stuff in storage. So, when she came back, she got rid of it all without hesitation. Because she needed so little of it. The stuff she actually needed could be paired down to a few boxes. It’s amazing how little we need when we really think about it.
In the future, create a rule for yourself. Everytime you buy something, throw out or give away two things for each item that you purchase. It’ll help keep your consumption in control. Whatever you do though, take time this month to clean out your STUFF. All the stuff that you can actually live without. You need way less than you think you need.
