Challenge yourself!
Originally posted Wednesday, April 27, 2011
This is one touchy subject for some people. Why is that you ask...well, people like stuff, and lots of it. We live in a world where the more stuff you have the better your life will be. On top of having so much stuff, it also has to be the latest and greatest stuff, not just anything will do. My husband and I are cutting back what we have and what we really need. If you break it down to the simple basics, we as humans need food, water and shelter. Considering both my husband and I are creative artist, we require certain items to do what we do. So, for people to figure out what they truly need, take some time and write a list of ( 100 items) that you could not be without...example: Toothbrush, Cooking Pan, Computer, Headphones, Towel, Blanket, you get the idea.
We started bringing a few loads to Goodwill as our jump start into the whole tiny house movement. We knew we were going to eventually build one, and that we would also have to eventually get ride of a ton of stuff. I started going through all the items that I owned (aside from my husbands own items) and found things that I just haven’t touched in 6 months or more. I decided if I haven’t used it in 6-12 months, that I could do without.... I was on a roll! I started going through everything... there wasn’t an item that I wasn’t willing to give away, I craved a simpler life and was so excited to get started. I got to a certain point and realized I didn’t have anything else that I could give up..... but my husband still had soooo much stuff....... should I or shouldn’t I..... he doesn’t really need that..... he won’t even notice that’s gone, yes, these were my thoughts. Don’t worry, I love my husband to much to make these, very important decisions. He noticed what I was doing, and soon jumped in also. It feels so nice, and I don’t even remember what I gave away....that’s good, and must not have been that important to me.
http://guynameddave.com/2011/04/simple-living-how-aware/
Be sure to check out the website linked at the top for more info on The 100 Things Challenge. You don’t need to be exact, but it’s a start, you can always break the list down more and more over time. It’s starting the process that gets you thinking about what is really important to you!