Daily decreasing leads to happiness

"its time to be honest with yourself, how much more stuff do you need"

A while back I wrote an article about, cleaning up your life. The jest was that we all or at least most of us in the western world have so much more than we really need. We are crazy consumers, out of control. As soon as the newest gizmo hits the market, the mad rush to the mall starts.

"the enlightened shopper, asks herself (or himself)...do I really need this"

Then there is all the stuff we accumulate. How many boxes of stuff do you have, that you don't even know what is in it? How much stuff do you have that you haven't touched in the last 6 months?

"don't you find it strange, that the more a person has, the more unhappy they tend to become"

Just look at the celebrities that try to kill themselves or lead self destructive lives. They can buy anything their heart's desire (and frequently do) yet where does that get them. Are they happier? Well, yes, for a short period of time. Then they need something new to renew the feeling. It's like a drug that needs to fed, and yet it loses it's power with time. Soon no new thing will give them the feeling they desire. All that striving and accumulating and they are left hollow.

Remember that theory that nature abhors a vaccuum? Maybe, when we start decreasing our lifestyle, the universe wants to replace with something else. Maybe, something more worthwhile and lasting like some meaning for our existance.

The daily decreaser says, this is my formula for simplifying and finding happiness.

"if, its trash...throw it out. If it's still useful but unused...give it away"

CONFESSION: I Eduardo have been trying to practice what I preach. I have been decreasing slowly what I possess. I'm a little on the lazy side, so I haven't decreased as rapidly as I would like. However, I am committed to continuing the process. So if you see a weirdo walking the streets of your town who looks like a reincarnation of Ghandi, be kind, he may have gone overboard this concept and....it might be me!

Eduardo