Why Material Stuff Will NEVER Make You Happy!
People have this false belief that the more they own, The happier they'll be. This is put into our minds as children, and for some people, it sticks with them for their entire life.
We think of "rich" people drive around in their 1 of 10 cars. With a massive mansion full of big screened TVS among other things. We dream of that kind of lifestyle.
What if that kind of lifestyle DOESN"T Make you Happy?
Imagine having the mansion, The TVs. But having no friends or family? How would your life be?
We are slaves to Our stuff
- The more you have, The more you have to manage, It complicates life.
- If you want to travel you have to drag your stuff along. Its annoying, Especially if you have a lot of it.
- Your stuff can be tripped on; It gets in the way.
Your stuff makes you happy for that brief moment you remove it from the Amazon box. Then it's put away, And only seen when your wandering the house dusting.
When you go on a vacation, You remember it for years. Those unique experiences become the story you tell forever, And it makes you a more interesting person.
Experiences not stuff
The other day my grandpa asked me why I do not have a car, This question comes up a lot. I'm 24 I have my license. I do not own a vehicle.
I told him, I'd rather travel than to buy a car. He was surprised Because most people my age wouldn't say such a thing.
Having a car would be nice sometimes, but again, It's something that would weigh me down. I'd have to do the upkeep and spend time and money keeping it in good shape. To me, it's another "Big thing" I"d have to move if I wanted to go somewhere.
Having Less Stuff Makes Life Easy
When I need something, I can open my closet, Reach-in, Grab it in 2 seconds. There is no digging. Because I spent the last three years getting rid of the crap I don't use. I still have a lot of "junk." But I'm working on weeding that out too.
I don't trip over things, And if I get tired of my laptop, I have an entire empty shelf to set it on.
My life became happier and easier when I stopped owning so much.
I think we have a natural desire to collect things. But do those things make our lives easier? What kinds of things could you get done, If you owned less?
Very true! Sometimes I do an exercise where I simply ask myself if the thing I am about to buy will make me more happy, and If I REALLY need it? 95 % of the times the answer is no. The time I will ask that question while looking at a jetpack, it will be yes.
Exactly! It's so easy to buy things that you don't need.
Very! Thanks for upvoting my contest. I appreciate it. You should join. I made it just to connect the community through some fun. Last time we had 5 winners :)
Only buy stuff that increases value in your life. That stuff pays dividends by increasing one's time and value. Otherwise, I agree; avoid other stuff.
If I made my book collection all digital, I would probably gain six square metres back into my home!
You are right, we're addicted to collecting things, and it is definitely one of my guilty pleasures. I always think "I'll need this one day." I never end up needing it.
Items are accessible, and you can hire / borrow most things if you need them. The concept of ownership is already changing in the economy, with software licenses subscriptions, music, again - subscriptions (Apple Music, Spotify, et al) and increasing proliferation of Uber-like services.
Enjoy the moment, I say, its all we can experience. :)
Yes!!! Making the transition to digital makes A BIG DIFFERENCE. I already did it and I save so much space hehe :)
I Love that you brought up borrowing, Thats a big things these days! It's awesome.
Great post @kaylinart greetings from Cologne Germany my name is Lars @laloelectrix
Thank you :) Hello Lars! What do you write about hehe?
Thank you for your reply @kaylinart I write about my my hometown Köln Cologne Germany when I photo walk around and #art paintings and drawing also about producing music .... I started with reading every day online and watching videos about Cryptocurrency I new here at steemit just a few weeks ago and I very happy to be here and the Community ... greetings & have a nice day 👍😎 Lars @laloelectrix
@kaylinart
We have been conditioned to believe in something that is false and can never offer us happiness. I need to reduce the clutter in my life and I appreciate your post on a topic that we all should think about. I have way too much stuff in my closet and that I don't even wear anymore. I should give a lot of it away. That would help me and the person who might very well be in need of it.
Your posts are inspiring so keep up the good work! :)
But @kaylinart what if materials things makes me happier than any other person I know, thats how I realize nobody cares about me :( . Not even family .
You don't have a car at 24 :0 ? .. same here my friends make fun of me cause i dont own a car, your reason on why dont you own a car is completely reasonable, but mine is because i'm simply poor asf :(
Aww! It's okay! I also can't afford a car, If that makes you feel better :) I'd rather use the money for better purposes!
Don't beat yourself up over it. Not having a car isn't the end of the world hehe :)
We all live in bubbles, I live in mine. I can honestly say I don't know too many people who think THINGS will make them happy. Though I did search long and hard for these people. There is still this kind of money=safety mentality though. I might write about that in the future, or you are welcome to give your take on it.
Nice posts.
Exactly! People have a somewhat outdated mindset at times.
Your article is very valuable! I'm talking about it with my daughter! Happiness grows within us! This is a habit we can to develop! Thank you @kaylinart for your thoughts! I resteemed!
This is so true! I also used to be a slave to my stuff. I always wanted more. Big house, nice car, the newest phone. Because of some experiences in life my whole mindset changed. I now know that those things aren't the things that make you happy. Going on adventures, meeting new people, learning about other cultures, learning to love yourself, being happy with what you have got. These things make me happy.
This is also why me and my girlfriend made a life changing decision. We both quit out jobs, sold our cars, rented out house and we our going to travel for as long as possible. Our whole lives and all that we need in 2 backpacks and our harts.
Thank you posting this. Upvoted and resteemed.
Have a nice day and remember.. Gococonuts ;)
Admire, don't acquire.
EXACTLY!