We have too much stuff.
One of my mantras whenever I go to a shopping mall is "I don't need anything. I already have everything I need to live a full, rewarding life".
For all the complaints about the crazy time we live in, one thing that is taking place with younger people in particular is the lack of need to OWN things, and to BUY tangible objects.
The cubic yards of vynil that used to be my music collection gave way to cubic inches of compact discs and then to the "nothingness" of MP3s. The shelves full of newsprint and books has been replaced by an iPad. Now we no longer need to buy the 40-odd consumer products that one "smart phone" contain (telephone, answering machine, phone book, camera, camcorder, tape recorder, radio, alarm clock, calculator, dictionary, calendar, encyclopedia, flashlight, fax, and compass, etc.).
Why buy a car, tools, a bicycle or even a house when you can affordably share these items with a click of your finger on an app?
We are creating a way to de-materialize the material world, and with it the possibility of a more free, more balanced life not so tied to the things we own, as to the experiences we have and the interactions we have with other people.
Read your article this AM George. Thanks for sharing. As I meditated this am about my #25YearVision your article inspired me to think about all the "stuff" I have surrounding me in my office right now. And all the "stuff" sitting in my attic at home. And all the "stuff" stored out of sight behind cabinet doors, and buried in dressers. or collecting dust as it sits on "display".
ReplyDeleteWhy? Do I need all this "stuff". How will I feel as I let "stuff" go? Would my memories be lost? Should I allow an object that is taking up space to be so tied to my memories?
One of my clients recently was beginning the opportunity to design and build a place for retirement. Some where in the same zip code as they were living now but with a "smaller footprint". Their dream is to maintain as small a "footprint" as possible within the environment. "All these 'little' houses intrigue us and we want to build one for our retirement".
Helen and I are talking about resizing our spaces as we look towards the next #25YearVision. Do we stay where we are or move to something smaller? More convenient. Lower maintenance. Lower housing costs. And that is leading to dragging "stuff" down out of the attic. We will not have room in this new place for all our "stuff". So we are sorting through "stuff" hidden out of view behind cabinet doors and buried in dresser drawers, or collecting dust as it sits on display.
Decluttering some people call it. I call it Preparing for the #25YearVision
What are you doing to prepare for your 2045?