Don't Let Things Own You

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the comforts things can bring. But having a lot of things around me usually gets me stressed out. I rather have experiences in life that creates beautiful memories. This is not very Viking-like of me as the Vikings went around the world and looted villages etc to obtain more stuff. But that was then and now is now. I think most people who are able to read this blog post have what they need and then some. The consumer driven society that is so prevalent in many countries of the word today makes me rather sick. And I think it’s making others sick too. Sick with anxiety of not having the most recent gadgets. Stressed out of having to pack up tons of items if one should move.

And I guess that’s the core to my obsession of not being obsessed with things: As I like to travel and move around, I don’t want things to weigh me down. I want to be able to move quickly and not spend time packing. I like few things and I like them to be of good quality. Again, I don’t want to live like a monk and endure torture by depriving myself of modern day comforts. But I don’t want things to own me. My Achilles heel though? Clothes. I am not at all buying clothes as much as I used to, but to offer you full disclosure, this is an area of “stuff” I need to work on. The princess part of me is kicking in when seeing amazing pieces of clothing. So yes, I am not perfect.

Every year when I go home for a visit to my parents’ house I clear out even more of my stuff that they graciously let me keep in my old room there. There is no need to save everything from my past. Some things yes, but not all. I think it’s healthy to clear out things now and then. I pretty much know exactly what I own in life although those items are in various parts of the world. I know where my clothes are to the point I can easily ask my parents to “please mail me the long-sleeved green top I bought in Italy which right now is in the second drawer from the top of my dresser”. Yes I can do this, ask my parents. I am in control, I own the stuff, they don’t own me.

My advice when clearing out things is to do maybe one area of your house/apartment at a time. And make three piles: 1. Keep. 2. Donate. 3. Throw away. But don’t throw away stuff that you can use for other purposes than the original one. I have many times used up an expensive, but ineffective face cream as a hand lotion instead of letting it sit on the shelve and collect dust.

To declutter your physical space can clear up some mental space for you too. I know I function better when not surrounded by mountains of “stuff”. Although I must admit there have been times when I had to dive into my trashcan and retrieve stuff that I threw away, which in the end, I actually needed. Yes I can get that fanatic. Sometimes.

Maybe I am too unattached to things, but I think that is a good thing. I once came eye to eye with this anxiety filled feeling of being suffocated by stuff when I helped clear out a house belonging to a hoarder for a community service project. I thought I was not going to make it or to publicly display my level of discomfort. 4 hours later I could happily say I lived through it, but it cemented my thoughts on things even more. I do understand hoarding is a deeper mental issue than I can get into here. But hoarding is very sad and can wreck families. I believe the arguments that can come over stuff can damage relationships. And don’t get me started on when I have heard my girlfriends talk about all the stuff they are expecting from their boyfriends for Valentine’s Day. If a guy would want to sweep me off my feet, he would be most successful with giving me an experience and not something for me to put on a shelf. Hint, hint ;)

As traveling is vital for my existence, I think one of the many reasons why I have been able to vagabond around the globe is that I don’t spend a lot of money on things. So there, I think we established that stuff and I are not buddies, but we will coexist side by side…just not too close together.