Why do we love stuff so much?
There is almost nothing more exciting than coming home with something new to wear or play with. Why is that? I can always tell when Stranger is especially pleased with a new toy because he brings it to bed with him. Sometimes I'll ask him, "Do you like it so much that you're going to sleep with it?" His latest favorite purchase I think was his snow plow which, sadly, I won't allow in the house let alone the bedroom. He had to buy a part for it a couple weeks ago though and I think that came to bed with us.
Why do we have all these holidays that are all about Stuff? Why do we have to buy each other Stuff to show them we love them? I'm thinking it's purely a sensory thing. I bet blind people are not into their Stuff as much as seeing people are. Am I wrong? I have a blind nephew and it seems the only Stuff he is into is his computer gadgets that talk or read brail to him. They are his way of experiencing the world.
What did God start with when he created the world? Stuff. And then he formed it into a bunch of other beautiful Stuff and created us to see and feel and smell and hear and taste all of it. Well we wouldn't want to taste ALL of it. Just the tastey Stuff. So I guess it's not such a bad thing for us to like Stuff. We just need to make sure we are good stewards over it and use it to create happiness and not saddness.
Having a cluttered home makes me sad. Not being able to find things makes me sad. Fighting with my kids to put things away makes me sad. I have learned one important thing about stuff. If it causing anxiety get rid of it!
If you hate doing laundry then you probably have too many clothes. If you dread doing dishes and they pile up for days then you have too many dishes. If your kids cry when you tell them to clean their rooms then they have too many toys. Get rid of at least half of them and stop buying more. If you've already gotten rid of half of them then get rid of half more.
It's a terribly profound concept, I know, but do you want a happy, easy life or a sad, difficult life? You get to choose and your Stuff has a lot to do with it.
Labels: Stop Buying Stuff
posted by The Lazy Organizer @ 10:16 AM
11 Comments
11 Comments:
Amen!
Very, very true post. I am so totally guilty of the very thing you are writing about. And I know others are too. Our COUNTRY and society are like this as a whole. It really is a sickness. And you are right, getting rid of CLUTTER and THINGS makes you feel so much better. It frees your mind and your physical house. I am reading some organizing books right now...and one by Cindy Glovinski I think her name is...basically about the WHYS behind why we buy stuff...and how to stop it. I'm hoping it helps. Certainly, it has at least made me stop and think before I make a purchase.
I'm pulling out a handful of garbage bags now. Garage sale here they come!
YEAH! Your so right!!
You're right. There is a video floating around right now called Stuck in Stuff. I saw it on another site and then went and watched the whole thing. While I don't agree with all of it (I think it is a little extreme) There are so many valid points it makes about how are stuff is about more than just single items, but about the economy and resources and waste. If nothing else it offered new perspective.
It is amazing to me how much Satan/the dark side/whatever people want to call it/evil spirit has gained influence in people's minds with stuff. It can control people and ruin lives. And it starts with a few things.
"If your kids cry when you tell them to clean their rooms then they have too many toys."
I thought for sure you were gonna say, "if your kids cry when you tell them to clean their rooms, get rid of them..."
Now that's a sentiment I can get behind.
I was over at a friends house yesterday, helping her clean out the basement to rearrange for a new sofa. She had some many toys, books, movies and laundry that it was just exhausting sorting through everything. We got the room cleaned up, but there were huge piles of "stuff" to be put away. A full laundry basket just of mismatched socks! I have a lot of stuff hanging around that I have been trying to get rid of. Now I am especially motivated to get rid of it since sorting through hers. Too much is just exhausting!
Thank for you this, it's exactly how I've been feeling. I wish there was an easy way to weigh things as I toss/give away. Unfortunately we don't even have a scale here for the bodies, let alone the stuff. :) It would be fun to see who the biggest loser is!
I have a friend that mentioned to me several months ago that she doesn't mind doing laundry, she just hates to put it away. I didn't understand what she meant at the time, until a neighbor and a cousin gave one of my daughters a bunch of their old clothes. When I go to put things away the drawer is already full, and yes, I hate putting away the laundry! Definitely time to go through and figure out the favorites.
You are so right!
And nothing feels better than getting rid of stuff.
I was about to say that I'm anti-stuff, but that's not exactly true. I'm anti-excess-stuff.
I used to get a lot of pleasure from weeding things out and getting rid of things, but now I get more pleasure out of NOT ADDING things that will eventually have to be weeded out. Of course, some stuff does get grown out of, or worn out, or tiring, in which case I enjoy removing it from our lives -- especially if it can be reused somewhere else.
My biggest challenge right now is convincing my kids - who are exposed to so much materialism - that they don't need more stuff.
I so agree. I am not a big stuff person myself and am more likely to get rid of something and regret it later than to hold onto it. But, alas, the man I married kind of likes stuff. I have had to designate a whole room to his "stuff" so I can close the door and breathe easier.
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