Thursday 15 November 2007

Less = Liberation

This week we started packing.

We hope to be relatively mobile for an indefinite period; consequently it's essential to take a hard look at just about everything we possess and ask the question, "Do we really need it?"

When faced with the prospect of minimal storage space, and a mobile lifestyle, your forced to reduce your belongings to the bare minimum. Harsh decisions are called for.

"Am I really going to refer to that information I gathered thinking it would be useful at some point? It's been sitting there for three years and I haven't looked at it once."

"Do I really need to keep all of those CDs that I never listen to anymore? Should I chuck; Travis, Macey Gray, Robbie Williams, and all those other albums, which were great at the time, but seem outdated now? Should I keep the classics, that seem to have timeless qualities that enable you to play decades after their release, such as; Crowded House, Rolling Stones, Herbie Hancock, to name just a few? Or should I download the complete collection onto a hard drive, and bin the lot?"

There's no room for mercy - everything that doesn't have a purpose, or that is below a certain sentimental threshold - MUST GO!

Wow - a few days after operation de-clutter started, and both of us are already feeling the liberation. Now that we have started cleansing ourselves of unnecessary belongings, it seems completely logical that it would bring with it a sense of freedom - but it isn't one we'd banked on - it's a surprise - a pleasant one.

It dawned on me that not only does the concept of a mobile professional install a sense of freedom in terms of locality, but it also has the added bonus freedom points that come with the reality of reducing your belongings. Clearing your mind and physical environment with the zillions of objects that clutter up your life and consequently your mind, brings a feeling of lightness and liberation.

1 comment:

Carla said...

Know what you mean about the clutter. I am just starting the process in reverse after just returning to the UK following over two years living in South East Asia.

Returned with just a back pack full of stuff to live with, however, shorts, flip-flops and vests are not all that appropriate for such bitterly cold weather are they?(Unless of course you are on a Saturday night out on the town it seems).

So the accumulation process has begun, buying clothes to go to the gym in, clothes to wrap up in, clothes and shoes for the rain, clothes to go out socialising in, the list goes on. My wardrobe in Asia ticked all of the above boxes due to a lack of seasons and a lack of striving to impress others,to fit in and be the trendiest because they are not as important in most of Asia.

Now Christmas is coming and I will no doubt receive gifts to store somewhere, oh yeah I forgot to mention the work clothes too.Those gadgets I will now start to collect that I somehow mangaged without for the past two years, how did I survive without an electric tin opener????

Do I feel liberated?? I certainly feel less free. I find I am slowly being shaped by the chaos around me. Already had many drivers cutting me up, dangerously overtaking to end up one space in front and making aggressive gestures. Just what is the rush and why is everybody so angry all of a sudden??