Do You Ever Just Want to Sell Everything You Own?

Sometimes...sometimes I feel defeated by STUFF. My possessions are interfering with my life. Seriously, you know?? I personally don't even have much of my own, so I guess it's everyone else's stuff that is stifling me. The toys! Who needs all this? The clothes! What the heck, so unnecessary! I mean, obviously we need clothes...but such a superfluous abundance of clothes that it doesn't fit in the closet & dresser when 3/4 of it is clean? No!

There are times when I'd just like to clear the house of everything but the bare essentials.

So much of our resources are dedicated to the accumulation, care and maintenance of our stuff. We spend money on buying stuff, but also on buying more stuff to organize the stuff we already have. The stuff needs to be organized, cleaned, and used.This takes a great deal of time and energy that could better be spent on more important things.

I don't consider myself to be terribly materialistic, but sure, I like stuff. At any given time there is probably a running list of more stuff that I'd like to have, running like a CNN ticker through my mind. But in general, I prefer experiences to things. I'd rather go on vacation than buy a new anything. I'd rather spend a day downtown than have a new piece of jewelry. Despite my preferences, I'm still bogged down with the responsibility of STUFF. I envy anyone who isn't, because the truth is...sometimes it feels burdensome to be the keeper of so many possessions. I'm not trying to say that I envy impoverished people who have nothing. Just that I'm envious of those who, based on personal choices and lifestyle, don't feel the weight of stuff maintenance on their shoulders.

Since I've got some catching up to do with my thankful posts,here's where I tie my frustrations into a 30 Days of Thankful post (covering several days).

Day 9 I'm thankful for my stuff. It's an indicator that I'm well cared for and have what I need to live comfortably. I know there are many people in this world who would be thrilled to have just a tiny bit of what I have been blessed to have. And everyday I try to remain in gratitude for the things I have that make my life more comfortable, safe, and entertaining.

Day 10 I'm thankful for cleaning out. If you had a look at my house right now, you'd be in wonder that I could spew such lies so easily and with no guilt. But I'm serious. I never thought I would be able to say this about myself, but I love the feeling of freedom I get from getting rid of stuff. Just like my Grandma. Well okay, she was the most organized woman in the world, so not quite just like her. I see the allure letting go of material items, and it always feels pretty darn fantastic when I have a whole ton of stuff to get rid of.

Day 11 I'm thankful for sharing. I get a pleasant little thrill every time I see my cousin's little boy wearing clothes that use to belong to Connor. The best way of getting rid of stuff is having someone specific to give it to who you know could use it. I love to give things away!

Day 12 I'm thankful for sometimes being on the receiving end of sharing. While I get a nice little endorphin rush from giving things to people who I know will use and appreciate it, it feels pretty good to have someone do the same for me. How awesome to not have to buy Connor any summer clothes because of a couple bags of hand-me-down clothes given to me by a generous friend! How fun to get a new (to me) sweater from my mother-in-law's friend! It's nice to have people think of us and deem us worthy of sharing their belongings with us.

Day 13 I'm thankful that I can recognize that the importance of stuff takes a definite backseat to the importance of living life to its fullest. Spending time with loved ones, doing interesting things, seeing the world, doing things I love, and having new experiences...this is the "real" stuff that happy lives are made of.

Day 14 I'm thankful for all the busy bee things going on in my life right now, even if it does mean more frequent absences in the blogging front. For example, working to find new ways of keeping my home organized (got to take care of that stuff, after all!).