Downsizing: It's All in Your Head

Happiness, peace and love are things we all seek to build a good life. Stress continually fights to keep us from both acquiring and holding on to that inner landscape. So, downsizing things, thoughts and life is essential to getting us there. How do you get there?

This process starts with asking yourself some questions.

⦁    Is my happiness dependent on things or people? Is peace dependent on my circumstances or what I have? Is love dependent on having someone, having things or what others think of me?
⦁    How much stuff do I NEED to function daily?
⦁    How can I mentally and emotionally detach from things that keep me from moving forward or enslave me?

Happiness is a choice. It's something we already have inside of us. Stuff doesn't make us happy. If it did, then we would all have that ONE thing and live happily ever-after. Right? So, why do we go out and repeat the same thing expecting to be satisfied this time? Look around you. How much stuff do you have? Does this stuff make you happy, bring you peace or fill your heart with love? What would happen if something happened to your stuff? Take a moment to think about that. Now, take a deep breath and release those unrealistic emotions attached to that thought. See what I mean? Is being emotionally attached to that stuff a good thing?

Ok, next question. As you look around your home, make a list of what you use on a daily basis. Clothing, appliances, tools, electronics, etc. Now, out of these things, do you have duplicates? Do you really need two shampoos, two TV's, two sets of dishes? Do you need a dozen pair of jeans, 25 pairs of shoes, two toolboxes, five spare cellphones? Do I need all these photo albums/keepsakes? What do you need to function daily? If you will honestly answer that question, you will find that amount to be considerably smaller than you're used to.

How do you detach? First, you need to see that nothing and no one is able to bring happiness, peace and love to you. You are the only one who can do that. All of these things come from the inside, not outside of you. So, take that list you've made and go over it again after meditating on the truth of the previous statement. See yourself cutting the cords to what you DON'T need. Now you can see the truth and move forward.

Your next step is to go get some boxes and begin the process of physically downsizing. Some things you will pass on or sell and some you will trash. Things to pass on or sell will be excess clothing, household stuff, tools, etc. You can donate them to a woman's crisis center or goodwill. You can have a yard sale. For photos and keepsakes, you can pass them to a loved one. Stripped teflon pans and white elephant nic nacs are trashbin items.

What you are left with will move you toward living tiny, which is not just about your square footage. It's about living life intentionally, realizing that happiness is an inner place. It's about realizing that stuff is just stuff.