Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

Decluttering your way to happiness

More joy from less stuff

Bruce Flow
Published in
6 min readOct 7, 2018

--

Take a glance around your home. Notice any items that are doing nothing but collecting dust? Maybe it is that bicycle with deflated tires that you haven’t ridden in 3 years. Perhaps it is that red leather jacket you bought in 1997 when you had a mullet.

Capitalism no doubt has its advantages. It spurs innovation and modernization. It offers advancement that improves the quality of our lives.

Yet, it has a darker side. It is no secret that we are constantly brainwashed by our environment to accumulate more possessions.

Giant billboards tell us we need new shoes to run faster and further. Hollywood celebrities in full-page ads in business magazines subtlely persuade us to buy that Swiss-made watch.

When spectacular product launch events are hosted, millions tune in globally. They wait in zombified anticipation for the next phone or smartwatch that will purportedly make their lives more productive and fulfilled.

Like many of us, I am not an enlightened monk in the Himalayas. I am affected by materialism. I buy my fair share of ridiculously unnecessary junk.

I have to shamefully admit I get endorphin hits when clicking on the “Add to Cart” icon. I too enjoy the short-lived hedonistic pleasure of…

--

--

Bruce Flow
The Startup

Polymath by calling. Software developer by profession. Student of the mind by nature.