Less Stuff + More Experience = a happy life

Less stuff+ more experiences= a happy life.

One night my roommate and I found ourselves bored and in desperate need of something to do.  Since we live in a small town we are rather limited on choices (I mean really you can only go to so many barn raisings).  We decided to make a 45 minute trek to a nearby town to do a little shopping (gotta love that Wal-Mart).  On the way home I started feeling…well…dumpy is really the only way to put it so please excuse my lack of vocabulary just this once.  I tried to pin down the source of said dumpiness (better?).  Now at this point I could tell you a really long story about how I cried about how meaningless my life had become but well…I’m not going to waste your time with such drudgery.  Rather I shall skip to the important part.  I realized that I wanted less stuff in my life.  More eloquently put I wanted to work to become a less material person (insert Madonna singing here).  I mean they can’t pack all those purses in the grave with me!  I went straight home that night and began going through my closet.  I got rid of probably a third of my clothes.  Lots of purses, shoes, jewelry, and a plethora of odd’s and end’s made their way to the trunk of my car where I promptly delivered them to a local thrift store.  I decided from that point on that I would no longer buy something just because I wanted it.  I had to need it!  Of course I must tell you that it is easier said than done.  I mean, I’m not saying that I was like jonesing for a T.J. Maxx or something…no, I was just…well ok I was jonesing for T.J. Maxx.  It kind of works like dieting for me.  If you tell me I can’t have it, like absolutely cannot have it…well then it becomes the one thing I really need to get my hands on.  So before long I found myself with far more stuff than I needed.  Once again I had let my shopping habit (NOT addictionJ) get the better of me.  So I started over.  And this time I did better.  I was a little (lot) easier on myself.  Truthfully it has been a lot easier since I stopped putting so much pressure on myself.  I mean really, I’m no Mother Theresa.  Lord knows I wish I were.  I have done a little reading about other people with similar goals and have found that I still have a long way to go.  I actually read an article about a couple that has limited themselves to a hundred things or less. (I tried to find the link to the article, however apparently there is now a book, etc.  Check it out.) Which is great, but really, who would I be kidding if I committed to that?? I would probably end up committed to an institution somewhere.   The point is (I’m aware that you are wondering) that when you rely on stuff to make you happy, well it just won’t.  I mean, maybe for a minute.  Or even an hour or two, but it ain’t gonna last…so think about it.  Get rid of a bag of stuff.  See how good it makes you feel J