What if your possessions were more of a burden than a blessing? We are blessed with so many products, and information at our fingertips, but what if they were hindering us instead of helping us? What if, less really is more?
Recently I've been on my own personal minimalist journey, although you can hardly call my lifestyle completely "minimalist." I have cluttered areas and excessive amounts of things, but I'm getting there. These past few months have been just enough of a minimalistic journey that I have been able to notice the positive effects of the saying "less is more." There is a difference in my personality, quality of living, and generally wellbeing and happiness.
But how can having less stuff make you more happy? I've struggled with this idea for a while. In such a consumer based society where we are programmed into thinking we have to have the newest and best this or that, the concept of not having those things is a bit backwards in thinking. I mean c'mon this is America, right?! Bigger is better! The more the merrier!
Well, not necessarily.
From personal experience I can attest that, yes, there is an instant gratification that rushes over the body and mind when a credit card is swiped at the cash register. Just behind the plastic bag lies your prized, and brand new, possession. You cannot wait to get it home, try it, use it, and after a few months completely forget about it. But how long does that satisfaction last?
Maybe what you bought somehow ends up lost in the depths of your closet floor. Perhaps it is on display and serves as a dust collector now. Either way, it does not have the same sheen, attractiveness, or feeling that it once had when you first bought it. So, what are you going to do? Buy something else that will fill that empty gap, of course? I've been there and done it before too. I would think to myself that if I just kept buying more things, that I would be happier, but I wasn't.
So, I have a challenge for you. Evaluate the things you own, and ask yourself why you have them? Do they serve a purpose? Are they pleasing? Do they make you feel good about yourself and your living space? Do they add to your positive energy, or are they taking away your time, energy, and happiness? Are your things a blessing or a burden?
Disclaimer: I am in no way saying that shopping, treating yourself, or buying products is a bad thing! Nor am I saying that you should live with just the bare minimum. The point is that sometimes our stuff and things hold us back, and I no longer want that to be the case in my life.
