Eliminating Material Possessions

Simplicity comes down to eliminating the excess in our lives.  Excess needs, wants, possessions. The list goes on.

Society tries to sell us on the idea that having more in our lives should be the goal and is the answer. But is more really improving the quality of our lives?

Do more possessions beyond a certain point really add value to our lives?

Do more commitments in our diaries really help us feel less stressed and rushed?

Does always wanting the latest smartphone really improve the quality of what we have now?

My concern is that is more even feasible for many of us who are struggling just to make ends meet and pay basic bills in these challenging economic times. Many can barely afford enough, let alone more.

I believe having more in my life or buying into the concept that more is better, could mean that I miss living in the moment.  I do not want to be constantly waiting for my life to be complete with more and striving for a day that will never come.

I believe the majority in the country are in a state of deferred living. Always assuming thay what they have now is not enough. Always wanting more.

I have been on my own quest, I want and have been living a simpler life.  

Around 10 years ago my life was going pretty well with little to complain about in the grand scheme of things. I had endless brand new cars, great friends and family, a good job, a detached house and I certainly knew where my next meals were coming from.  I had also started to accumulate more in my life. More material possessions, more commitments, more meetings, more financial responsibilities, more hassle. Alongside this I felt like less and less of my time was, well my time.

The quality of my time was decreasing as more was added to it.

I was busy and in motion a lot of the time but wasn’t really getting what I truly wanted out of life. I had bought into the concept of more and that more would be the answer. I had lost track of my own goals.

I started to think more, to look around and identify more of what I truly wanted in life. I also started to uncover those things in life I would rather be without.

In consultation with my wife, we started to take action.

We both started to peel back and eliminate what didn’t matter.

We started extracting ourselves from commitments and meetings that we really had no interest in being at.

I started to see that conventional wisdom doesn’t always have to be followed.

I started to remove distractions and excuses I was making to myself.

I started to focus more on the things and people that were important to me.

I realized, that I valued freedom and flexibility over the ability to just earn more and started to try to seek out ways of living accordingly.

We started to accumulate fewer material possessions but enjoyed our time together more.  Our quality of life improved since we sought together to simplify things and intentionally live with less.

Like everything, this was not a simple overnight fix.  

I have realized that life can be rich and full of small pleasures without having to spend lots or buy more.

I feel like I have more time to do what I want to do and to spend with the people I want to spend time with.

Eliminating the excess means living a life that can be slightly unconventional by modern standards.  Not having the latest smartphone every month or a house and garage full of clutter.  

Instead, time is an option.  Time allows us to be grateful for what we have rather than letting us focus on what we don’t.

In life, we are programmed from an early age to think a certain way and that making any changes means we come off our original path and would require a shift in thinking.  But believe me this is all very worthwhile.  

I am happier now that I have found my own path to less and forever banishing the more.