Daily Inspiration 9-11-13

"It is not a daily increase,

but a daily decrease.

Hack away at the inessentials."

 

-- Bruce Lee

It's interesting how life has changed over the last 30 years or so. When I was young, I don't emember seeing any storage places as you see now. Indeed, now there are so many in each city and it has become a billion dollar enterprise, and I have contributed to their incomes over the years.

I live in a small house. By today's standards, it is very small--only 1100 square feet. I was telling someone in my office how in 1965 when this house was built, people didn't have very much stuff. You know that by how small and how few closets there are here. Go into a newer home and not only are they dramatically larger, they have closets all over the place and probably several walk-in closets.

Though the house is small, it is packed with a lot of stuff. We've been gatherers. We bring it home and it never leaves. Much of the things haven't been looked at or touched in many years and yet there it is. Once acquired it is hard to let go of. It's a psychological thing for sure. We think we need it, then we don't, and yet we think we might need it later, and then we don't and then we think it is too valuable to give away, but then it isn't. The truth about 'things' is that the vast majority drop in value about 90% as soon as we buy them. That doesn't leave much monetary value left.

Now that things have changed in my household, I am on a quest to remodel my life to have less stuff. Now the challenge is which stuff to let go of and I am working on shredding my attachment to so many things. I even called in a consultant to help with the process. After all, the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things and expect a different result. The first rule of progress is to do things differently--and that includes changing my thinking, and changing my ideas of value and need.

I've actually moved a number of things out already, but I need more work on myself. If I stay on this path a while, I'll be able to see the floor again in my office. It's been a while.


Things Do Not Equal Happiness. In Fact, After A Time, They Become More Of A Burden.

Spread Some Joy Today--Letting go is always a bit of a challenge, but it is amazing the joy that can come as a result. It is a greater joy than when the things came to begin with. Now, isn't that interesting?