Simplicity and Survival

Rinsing Old, Accepting New

A major and recurring theme in life today is 'stuff'. It could be a sweater that you haven't worn in a few years, taking up space in your closet. Perhaps it’s that drawer from ‘I SPY’ that you never could find the 3 green buttons in. Clutter, junk, or whatever you may call it; everyone has it and few are ready to get rid of it.

But we need to rinse our lives of the old; change is imminent, and it’s happening whether or not we like it. I'm not saying there isn't sentimental value in some of our ‘stuff’, but how many birthday cards do you have crowding up your desk, file cabinet, or other space? And how many more birthdays are you going to have? Are you going to keep piling up cards? The answer is up to you.

Read the birthday cards, cherish the thought and message, gather any remaining gifts you forgot to take out, and recycle them.

I have lived in three amazing cities within the past three years (West Lafayette, IN; Vail, CO; and Chicago, IL). When I was moving from West Lafayette to Vail; I drove my entire life, which at the time included a futon, some fishing equipment, a stereo, and other misc. ‘stuff’ in a Subaru Outback, (mad props to Subaru!) and my hockey bag in a ‘waterproof’ soft cover atop. I drove I-70 westbound, over the continental divide, and into an amazing ski season during Vail’s record snowfall year.

But even then I had too much ‘stuff’. I eventually moved 80 percent of my stuff into storage. I lived in a 10’ x 12’ room, and every square foot was utilized. After storing most of my things; there was no clutter, no excess clothing, nothing that did not serve a daily purpose for my life, a hotel job and skiing, but not necessarily in that order.

It was amazing! This room, compared with any previous in my life, was much easier to keep clean (which I’ve been known to have an issue with) and much more enjoyable to sleep and be in. I felt no distraction; I was at ease and comfortable.

I’m not saying throw out all of your stuff or put it in storage. But what do we really need? The possessions we own end up owning us. If you were to buy a car with payments, that car owns YOU, the marketplace owns YOU, until that debt is paid off. YOU must work to raise the money (or have worked for it at some time)or else it will be repossessed.

If we were to race 100 miles, and you were in a car, and I was walking, I would win. I would win, because I could start walking immediately, it may take me a few days to finish, but I would win. You would lose, before you could drive the car, you would have to pay for the car; the gas, oil, insurance, and any other cost incurred for owning the car, before you could legally drive it the 100 miles. Thus, the more expensive the car, the longer it takes for you to go the 100 miles.

Compared to today, how did you look yesterday? A month ago? Six months ago? Ten years ago? I’m not just talking physical looks here, because you definitely don’t look as youthful. Mentally, spiritually, how much more or less stuff do you have?…You paid the cost of time, how did you spend it? Have you changed for the good or bad? What path are you on?

Every day you wake up, you are presented with three hallways. At the end of the first hallway, there is an escalator that goes down. You just have to get on the escalator. Everything else is taken care of.

If you walk a little ways, the next hallway you come to has no visible end. Sure there are pretty pictures on the wall, some little nooks and crannies, but the path never strays. You do have to walk, but you’ll just walk until it’s time to sleep again. Because it’s comfortable, because there’s just enough stimulation and it’s easy.

Then there’s the third hallway. Only this time the hallway is very short, and at the end, a stairway that goes up. Do I really want to walk UP? Is there a top? Do the stairs end? Is there a cliff? Am I just being brought to slaughter? Increasing your potential energy takes work, why would I walk up these stairs to a certain death? I’d much prefer walking straight, or riding the escalator down…

YOU choose to make your life worse than the day before, the same as the day before, or better than the day before. YOU decide how to live your life, where you are going to go, and what you are going to do.

“Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. With respect to luxuries and comforts, the wisest have even lived a more simple and meager life than the poor.” - Henry David Thoreau

Change is happening; it’s been happening. And the longer you wait, the quicker it’s going to happen. By letting go of the ‘physical’ memories of the past, you allow yourself more mental capacity to rationalize the present, and plan for the future.