Stuff

Continuing with the topic of simplicity, today I want to talk about stuff.

Now I love stuff. I love it in all shapes, sizes, colors, and brands. I like the latest stuff. I like the newest stuff. I like the cutest, prettiest, most fun, and most entertaining stuff.

But sometimes I feel as thought I am consumed by stuff. Anyone out there agree with me?

Whether it's stuff for yourself personally (even valuable time-saving kitchen tools), or stuff for your kids (gotta have that toy), we are bombarded with commercials, ads, and billboards that tell us we need more stuff.

Listen to this quote: "We live in a culture that is tying its identity, self-worth and enjoyment in life to stuff. But stuff doesn't bring lasting satisfaction."

Did you know that on average people spend six hours every week shopping for more stuff? And on average parents spend just 45 minutes a week playing with their kids.

Ask yourself this question that was recently posed to me: "We're not defined by stuff when we're born or when we die, so why would we choose to be defined by what we own and what we consume while we are living?"

This has really hit home for me as I've cleaned, organized and gotten my home ready to put on the market. I have an entire closet filled with boxes of....stuff. I have taken at least 5 carloads of stuff to my parents and a friend's home to store for us while our house is on the market. Where did all this stuff come from? Why do I need more?

In Living Simply, Joanne Heim says, "We must take care, when furnishing our homes, to fill them with objects that are useful, beautiful, uplifting and beneficial to our families."

I believe another step toward simplicity is a) getting rid of some of our stuff and b) choosing to live in such a way that our lives are not centered on consuming more stuff.