Our instinct as human beings is to keep everything. In ancient society, this was quite valuable. If we had something useful, even rarely, it wasn’t likely that we’d ever have a good opportunity to get that thing again. We were almost forced to keep everything, and “things” were in short supply. Today we live in a global marketplace where the availability of things, especially in the USA and other great nations, is at an all time high. Because of this, we are afforded the luxury of not having to keep things we don’t use very regularly. We are also put into a position of having to go against our natural instinct for keeping things, so we’ve got to be careful to think logically about our possessions.
Opt for quality over quantity. Value is revealed over the long term. I’m so into this right now. I’m getting ready to move, so I’m selling and getting rid of tons of stuff. I’m only keep things that create the vision I see for my new space, that I can display with honor or that I use on a regular basis. Everything else is getting cleared out. I’m figuring out what are classic pieces of clothing that I can spend money on for quality, that will never go out of style, but until I move, I’m not buying anything.
We need to think carefully about how we use things, and how often. Our lives should be filled with things that are useful and beautiful and cherished, if we have things that we don’t think have all of these qualities, we are quite lucky to be in a time where we can get those belongings to people who will cherish the useful and beautiful things that we just don’t have room for. You can put them up on ebay or craigslist, give them to friends, or even donate them for a tax write off. Be generous, or be savvy, but either way we need to make sure to clear the clutter from our lives. This also applies to social obligations, club memberships, hobbies, and more! Our lives can always benefit from more simplicity, let me know in the comments the ways you’ve chosen to simplify your life!
