Courtesy of jarrodlombardo
A few nights ago I couldn’t sleep. When this happens, I usually find myself watching a TED Talk. Michele and I were in the middle of trying to sell my car (see Good Bye Awesome Car, Hello Future for the whole story) and I was thinking about stuff. The kind of stuff that fills up our basements, attics, kitchens, garages, houses, and lives. We have a lot of stuff. Michele, Carter, and I live in a normal sized house… but we have rooms that we haven’t opened the door to for months. That brings me to the talk I was watching a few nights ago. In it writer and designer Graham Hill explores if having less “stuff” can actually lead to more happiness. Michele and I think so. Check it out for yourself below.
Americans have so much stuff that its possible to have shows like Hoarders and Storage Wars… maybe its time to look at the alternative?
We are normal (well ok, not so normal) people that have a dream to see the world and live life as it was meant to be. We both have successful careers in the healthcare industry, even in this terrible economy. We want to break free of the current cycle of trading time for dollars and dollars for more and more things we don't need. So, we have decided to forego the fruits of our economic success and "retire" well before we are 30 and set out to see what is over the Horizon.
I have never had a lot of stuff, and this past December started getting rid of (at least) one item a day. It feels great! I didn’t use the stuff and now they are (hopefully) with people who will use them. I never understand hoarders or people who stuff massive amounts of stuff in their garages.
I like the idea of getting rid of one thing a month… Michele and I have talked about the “Great Purge” that is coming when we move onto a boat and I think starting early is a great idea.