For around a year now, I’ve been working on and off at decluttering and moving away from materialism. I still have a lot of stuff and occasionally buy more of it (usually books), but my interests have changed a lot over time. It was a slow, gradual approach, but I’m now at a place in life that I never thought I would be.
I’ve realized the extent to which I and most other people in the US can get caught up in “keeping up with the Joneses” and all the trouble that can cause. The more stuff I have, the more space I need to store it; if I have too much stuff to fit in a house, then I’d have to pay for another place to store it and periodically check on it. Plus, no matter where I store my stuff, there’s always a risk of someone taking it. Protecting it requires even more time and money, which drastically reduces my ability to pursue bigger, more exciting things in life.
In contrast, the less stuff I have, the more freely I can move around and travel without being so tied down to one particular place. I’ll be able to spend more money on things I truly value and less on accumulating things I don’t really want, need, or use in the first place. If I have very few possessions and I lose everything, it’ll be much easier to rebuild than if I had a ton of stuff. I can support important causes with the money that I’ll save by not buying and storing everything that catches my eye. And, by getting rid of a lot of small stuff that doesn’t serve me, I can make room for the important stuff I do want to keep. Whatever stuff I do end up keeping, I want it to be my servant rather than my master.
As I said in my post about Classic City Swing 7, I’d rather have a heart full of memories than a shelf full of trinkets, and I’ve been living accordingly as much as I can. Instead of always being on the lookout for new stuff to buy, I prioritize traveling and trying new things. I focus on learning new skills and improving at the skills I’ve already developed. And, whenever possible, I enjoy spending time with other people while doing things that cost little to no money. My best stories all involve experiences I’ve had, not stuff I’ve owned. And the less stuff I have, the more freedom I have to pursue meaningful experiences with the most important people in my life and create wonderful stories that I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.