OPTED Magazine

“The things you own end up owning you  (Tyler Derden, Fight Club)

In the last week I’ve read three articles that all contained a common theme: possessions defining our lives.

One article discussed the fun question we’ve all asked ourselves “if you were sent to a desert island, what 5 objects would you bring with you?”  Another article referenced in our moving post series was the exploitation of a family and their possessions held hostage by a moving company.  Yet another article discussed evacuation plans for natural disasters or a fire in your home, posing the question of “what would you save?”

While each of these articles jog the brain and get you thinking about your personal response to those scenarios, they all imply that material possessions represent the most important factor in your life.

I’ll be honest — my mind races when I evaluate the question of “what would I save if I had 10 minutes to escape a natural disaster.”  I confess that I immediately dismiss saving pets and family members thinking “of course I’d save those things first, now on to the REAL question of what material possessions can I not live without.”

If my city was in the path of a hurricane and I had to fill a car before immediately escaping, I may not have much time.  I’m a practical person, and packing food, blankets, my wallet, water and flashlights would all go on the list.  I’d enter survival mode and pack the car with the “important stuff” first.  But wouldn’t all the “extras” be another instance where I add clutter to my life?

It got me thinking about material possessions and how they define our lives and an important question I’d like our readers to reflect on:

How much of our attachment to material possessions is “this is irreplaceable and has lasting meaning to my life” versus the guilt of needing to hold on to/save/possess the items out of guilt for how much we’ve spent on the items or an unrealistic view of what “things” mean to us?

As I write, I’m glancing around the room and thinking about the rest of my home.  There are “things” everywhere, most of which would be abandoned in an evacuation situation.  Excluding the furniture for a moment, does that mean the rest is just excess?  Do I really need it if I was forced to abandon it?

My thought process could continue forever, but I want you to share!  Do you have any possessions (you think) you can’t live without?  What if you were forced to permanently abandon your home and most of your possessions — what does that mean for how you evaluate what you own?  Does it motivate you to declutter?

If you are interested in exploring a minimalist lifestyle, I recommend Leo Babatua’s e-book.  You can read more about it here.

If you liked this post, you might like::

1. Rejecting clutter: how life stages affect dependence on possessions
2. Sell your house by reducing clutter
3. Address incoming paper immediately and make it a habit