Too much 'Stuff'

It was just the other day that I was packing for my 10 day trip to Thailand and my goal was to figure out how to fit everything I wanted to bring in a small carry-on suitcase. UH? Hello! There was no way I thought this could actually work. How would I decide on what to pack considering how many clothes I have? Perhaps this wouldn't be such a dilemma had there not been so many options. Let's take notice of the piles of clothing pre-moving out of the house I lived in for 2 and a half years. It can be very overwhelming when you have so much, yet you don't know where to begin.

I thought back to my first experience when I first realized how having an endless amount of 'stuff' was a legitimate epidemic in America. I was overseas in Israel staying with host families; getting a true taste of the culture. I immediately took notice of the simplicity of their lifestyle and house. How little they had, how few clothes they owned, and how unimportant 'stuff' is in most other countries besides America. How in the world did it get so bad?

I often blame growing up in Scottsdale, Arizona for a reason that I have accumulated and continue to 'collect' stuff. What else is there to do in the desert besides shop? For goodness sake, every store is on every corner just 10 minutes in every direction.

Needless to say, I was proud that I packed everything I would need for my 10 day trip to Asia in one carry-on bag. Rolling your clothes is an excellent space saving trick that can help save a lot of space in your suitcase.

But really though, why do you hold on to things you don't use anymore? Obviously think you might need them at some point for something someday. We are so attached to our clutter. Who even has time these days to sort through it all?

Three years ago when I was moving to Philly, my mom and I had a complete breakdown laughing so hard we were crying our eyes out. My parents were packing up their house of 14 years to move and I had been packing for quite some time to move across the country. We were hysterically laughing in disbelief of how and why were we swimming in a sea of clutter. We were convinced we would make great entertainment on the show 'Hoarders.' Shamefully, we've already given ourselves such a terrible reputation in this country with reality shows specifically about people who basically need an intervention for their ungodly amount of 'stuff,' often resulting in hazardous conditions.

Do you really need all that 'STUFF?' Have you ever searched for something and just have no idea where it could be? Maybe if you didn't have so much crap, it would be more likely for it not to be buried in all of the possible 90+ places it could be hiding with the rest of your stuff. Not only do people buy things to perhaps fill voids but having too much stuff can just make a person feel stressed. So who is winning here?

Maybe its time to re-evaluate your things and consider giving some away to those in need. We should all try to live a more minimalistic lifestyle. Give it a try.