A Simple Life

I have decided to fight my addiction to "things" and consumerism. We live in a culture filled with the idea that it is alright and good to buy new things as long as you can afford it (and sometimes even when you can't...), and I do not want to continue to live this way.

I like new things. They're pretty and shiny. It feels good to have something new and different to behold and admire. It's also addictive. Somehow, no matter how much I have, I still can find things that I want. While I'm still young, I want to change how I view what I own (and don't own) to create healthy habits of living simply.

Here's why I want to live simply:

1) While it feels nice to have new things for awhile, we all know what's it's like to have TOO MUCH stuff. We are constantly surrounded by clutter and putting things away which causes stress and takes time. I'd rather spend my time on other things.

2) It is economical. More money can be saved for retirement or given away to people who really don't have what they need.

3) Our planet. It's finite, but our wants are not. By building bigger homes and filling them with more and more stuff, we aren't paying out respect to the incredible hunk of rock that provides us food, water, and oxygen.

Here's what I plan to do:

1) Learn to be happy without buying things.

2) Try to make do with what I have before I buy new things. People were able to make do with so much less in the past. Some advancements are nice (like this laptop I'm typing on...), but I can learn to figure out what I can do without.

3) Buy used, and use things until they are no longer functioning. We throw away too much because it's too easy and cheap to get new things.

Additionally, and perhaps even harder for me, I want to feel unattached to my possessions. If something gets completely broken, I want to be able to just let it go. If my potholder gets a stain, I want to be grateful that it is still is serving its purpose. If my spoon rest gets broken in half and glued back together, I want to be happy that it still keeps the soup from running all over my stove.

I'm finding a lot of peace in letting go of the internal pressure whenever I see a cute shirt just my size or another gadget designed to make my existence somehow even more effortless. I really look forward to experiencing more freedom in my life as I change my attitude.