“They say, “You can’t take it with you,” but I’ve moved a few times recently, so I know: You HAVE to take it with you. The problem with too much stuff is that it complicates life instead of fills it.
Stuff is weighty. It weighs a lot. It’s one little figurine here, one little knickknack there. Maybe four or five hundred CDs in ten boxes everywhere. The problem with too much stuff is that it costs so much more than the money to buy it.
The old proverb claims that “you can’t take it with you,” but I’ve moved a few times recently, and I know…
You have to take it with you.
Every time you move.
Too Much Stuff is a Heavy Load to Bear
You have to put it somewhere, otherwise, suffer clutter. You have to dust it and dust the shelf on which it sits, otherwise you suffer sneezing. Some people actually like sneezing. I assume. A few sneezes can be quite diverting.
You Have to Take it With You…
Trust me on this, because I have moved four times recently.
If you move, you have to get boxes for stuff, pack the stuff and either carry the boxes of stuff to a truck, transport the stuff, carry the boxes to your new place, unpack and re-display. Stuff is quite complex. You can quote me on that.
Tweet me on that.
“Stuff is quite complex.”
– Shayne Seymour
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Self-help gold!
…But You Can’t Take it With You
I think that in our last few days or hours though, the stuff isn’t going to matter.
Sure it will be fun watching your heirs fight over the stuff. Other than that, it won’t fill the void left by regret.
In those last few days and hours, the focus of our back-looking—let’s work together to make back-looking a thing!—will be experiences.
What Did You Do?
Not what did you do for a job, but what experiences did you experience?
With whom did you do it? I’m guessing that during our last few days and hours, grammar will not be a huge concern.
Did you Live, and did you share it?
As a brilliant songwriter sang:
“Don’t dwell on the things that you can own.
There’s far better treasure to find.”
Just kidding. That wasn’t a brilliant songwriter. It was me, in one of my songs.
Too Much Experience is Better Than Too Much Stuff
Life and Stuff aren’t mutually exclusive. You can have both, but…
Focus your efforts on, spend your money on, save your time and money for…Life!
You can have too much stuff. You can’t have too much experience.
Experiences, what we did (or didn’t do), will determine a life of fulfillment (or regret). Spend time:
- with friends and family,
- on adventures
- in the service to others
- making a difference.
Those are the memories we’ll relish or the things we’ll regret not doing. Stimulating the handbag or shoe economy will not bring you comfort on your deathbed.
Go do something good, fun, and memorable.
Commenting below will be good, fun and memorable for all of us, so please share your thoughts with the rest of us.
Question:
What is something good or fun you did today?
What is something good or fun you could do today?
Join the conversation on your favorite social media platform:
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There is still time to do something. Go on. You can come back and tell us about it tonight or in the morning.
Related Posts:
- Want to invest your time wisely? Learn the difference between Quality Time and The Quality of Time.
- What do you think is better: time or money?
(SPOILER ALERT: It’s time.)
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