Things are not the answer
As part of our purging process, (which we are still going through, until we have everything down to just the things we need, or a few items that we -want-, rather than the boxes and boxes of stuff that we had that we had nowhere to put and much of it we didn't need or even use), I have yet more boxes of books to get rid of.
Chelle and I keep doing these purges and getting rid of more "stuff", with the goal that eventually, we will be at a place where we are living "simply". I don't mean living with nothing. Instead, it is a focus on living with what you need, unpretentious and not overly complicated by clutter. Things don't make you happy - you make you happy, the people you choose to be around add to your happiness, the activities you choose to participate in make you happy, the peacefulness of your home can bring contentment - but things, having more and more things, will not make you happy, will not fill the void of intimacy in your life, will not replace the joy of living an authentic life.
I'm not suggesting that we can't have things in our lives that give us good feelings. What I am talking about is not letting the accumulation of things be the goal. Trust me. I have treasured books, I have more yarn than I need, and I have a drawer full of journals that I will eventually use. I also have all my old journals saved. They are "things", but they are things that mean something. I know people that think if they have the biggest, brightest, shiniest thing, or have the most things that this will make them happy. But it's not the "things" that make you happy - it's the memories you have attached to them, the meanings you give to each of them.
Chelle and I keep doing these purges and getting rid of more "stuff", with the goal that eventually, we will be at a place where we are living "simply". I don't mean living with nothing. Instead, it is a focus on living with what you need, unpretentious and not overly complicated by clutter. Things don't make you happy - you make you happy, the people you choose to be around add to your happiness, the activities you choose to participate in make you happy, the peacefulness of your home can bring contentment - but things, having more and more things, will not make you happy, will not fill the void of intimacy in your life, will not replace the joy of living an authentic life.
I'm not suggesting that we can't have things in our lives that give us good feelings. What I am talking about is not letting the accumulation of things be the goal. Trust me. I have treasured books, I have more yarn than I need, and I have a drawer full of journals that I will eventually use. I also have all my old journals saved. They are "things", but they are things that mean something. I know people that think if they have the biggest, brightest, shiniest thing, or have the most things that this will make them happy. But it's not the "things" that make you happy - it's the memories you have attached to them, the meanings you give to each of them.