How Little Do We Really Need To Be Happy?

I feel like I am always talking here about going through closets and organizing, which is rather silly considering there are only 4 closets in my entire home. I came up with a nice solution for my long-term storage, boxes of things I have saved from my life.They are out of my closets now and have a new home in lockable bins I will put downstairs. This turn of events now gives me much more storage space in my apartment.

As I am going through my things -- and I don't have a ton of things, I realize how much less I could happily live with. There are so many lovely things made in this world, so many shiny objects to catch our eyes. But how many little kitchen appliances, candle holders, clothes, shoes, purses and holiday decorations does a person really need? The more we own the more those belongings own us and require our taking care of them, buying more storage items to organize them, renting storage space, getting bigger homes to hold more stuff, having no garage space to actually park in or just having our homes overtaken with mountains of stuff. Can you relate to this in a little way or perhaps a big, rather scary, overwhelmed way?

I have been thinking a lot about the quiet, simple, joyful, adventurous life I want to lead (and in so many ways absolutely enjoy already, thankfully) and it does not involve lots of stuff. I realized a while ago that when I want to relax or have some fun I often think of going shopping. Does this sound familiar to you? I think I have always been pretty conservative, but this is a challenge for almost everyone including me.

Shopping without a serious need or purpose has become a habit for many, many people and in the end costs a person a lot of money. It might be in $20, $200 or $2000 increments. I honestly get really freaked out by the TJ Maxx commercials where the mother with her car overloaded with housewares purchases pulls up to pick up her daughter at school and the daughter says, "Not again." I am sad to say I have often seen people voraciously shopping who I could feel very powerfully were trying to fill and emptiness with stuff. Is this not a dangerous disease?

Does this sound familiar to you? How often do you pop into a big retail store to pick up a couple of things and end up leaving having spent $50-$100 dollars on things that caught your eye. What I would give to have the dollars in my pocket that I have spent frivolously in my life to this point okay even just half or a quarter of that money. I think it's okay to be frivolous occasionally, don't get me wrong, I'm not that uptight. Some might argue that if we all stop shopping it will harm the economy. I would argue that if we stopped frivolous shopping the economy would adapt, creating new jobs focused on more important things than retail joyriding. We would still buy what we need.

Another big reason I want to seriously simplify is that I want to have a life where I use and appreciate everything I have. I don't do that now. I have small kitchen appliances I have never used, I have beautiful trays that I'm not having parties to use, I have sports equipment buried in closets, purses and hats I've forgotten I own. I have so much beautiful jewelry I need to be wearing. I own some really lovely things that I don't even remember I have or make an effort to use and enjoy. I want to be having great experiences rather than managing tons of stuff in my house. I could afford more of those great experiences if I spent my money just a little more wisely.

And so I begin this little journey in earnest, combing through my belongings. Know that everything I weed out will be sold or donated for good use. I can feel that I'm struggling with letting go of things I've spent good money on that still have use in them, but still that's no reason to keep hold of them so tightly. It's every reason not to buy more. Owning less helps me feel less encumbered, will keep more money in my wallet and allow me to enjoy what to I have more. I'll definitely be talking more about this in coming days.

I'd love to hear how you're feeling on this topic. Where are you on the spectrum? Does this post make you feel anxious about the past or joyful for what can be? What have you learned in your own life and how have you changed how you spend? How did you find the courage to let go of things and what did you do with them? This is something I'm thinking about a lot and would really love to hear your thoughts, fears, regrets, successes and lessons learned.