Every time we buy something we deepen our emotional deprivation and hence our need to buy something.
“It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly.”
~Bertrand Russell
Last Saturday I went to Goodwill and donated four bags of clothing and four boxes of shoes. Some of these items were purchased back in 1994 and barely used. Ridding myself of extraneous stuff was the first in my checklist of removing clutter (literal and metaphorical), getting rid of the old and welcoming the new, and at the same time fulfilling a self-serving altruism.
It felt good, in so far as “giving” can feel, and a wonderful sense of being unburdened. I’m not advocating for forsaking all material goods, just for finding a balance. I already have what I really need. I’m just making sure that the things I possess don’t end up owning me.
It’s amazing how much stuff a single person can amass over the years, and how long I’ve clung to them. I am guilty of the anal-compulsion to fill empty spaces, the urge to collect, to acquire and hold. I wonder how long I’d last before I start filling the gaping hole in my closet (or life) again.
Something I haven’t decided is the one thing I’ll grab when a catastrophic disaster strikes. My passport? A taser? Photos? iPhone?
What would you take with you?
