Stuff, Stuff, & More Stuff

I have been wanting to write this post for a while now, I have just been trying to think about how to approach it. What I am supposed to say in this.

Over this last Christmas break I have really been internally battling with how much stuff we have today in our society, and personally I am 110% guilty of having way to many things just like any other standard North American. We look to find our joy in things, in the inanimate objects, or the incredible experiences we can gift people, or the amount of money we can spend on someone. My happiest moments this past Christmas season were not when I was opening presents, not when I won a prize in a competition, or when I saw my sister opening up the present I got her. My happiest moments were when my family was laughing about something stupid. When we watched the dogs reacting to the muzzle being covered in whip cream and trying to clean it all off. When my brother shot whip cream onto the ceiling. When my brother invited me spend New Years eve with him at 10pm that night cause he didn't want me to spend my New Years alone. When I went over to my best friend's house and held her little boy for 4 hours while she cooked and folded laundry, and all we did was talk about life and catch up from the last couple months. When I stayed up late talking on the phone with friends just having serious life conversations. When I got to bake or cook in the kitchen with family. When I felt supported, loved, cared for. When the room was filled with laughter, smiles, contentment.

This is when I was at my happiest. When I was wasting my time on social medias, or shopping, or any other brainless numbing actions. I was content when my younger brother let me borrow his jacket to stay warm cause I didn't have a proper bonfire coat with me. Over the last couple of years, especially this last summer as I hopped around a lot from house to house. I have come to the attention of how much stuff I have, and have found myself slightly flabbergasted with how much stuff it takes to keep me "happy" how much stuff I have felt that I need in order to live a fulfilled life. When I was at my parents this Christmas I took the chance to go through the remaining stuff I still had at their house. And I could not understand how I have just let some of this stuff sit around when I have no purpose for it. When it does not get used and has just been collecting dust at my parents house. So I made up a couple of bins of things I feel as though I think I want to show my kids some day, of which still feels like way too much stuff. And everything else (minus a few garage things) I have brought with me to school. To keep in my apartment and now. Now I am going to decide what I am going to do with all my stuff. I am going to figure out what is just collecting dust and I do not need to hold on to, and what is actually purposeful and worth it to have.

Growing up in a household that could not afford tons we held on to a lot of things because we knew we probably wouldn't be able to afford something, so even if we didn't need it we thought that maybe we might need it so we should hold onto it so that we have it for when we can't afford to get it anyways. Which I still totally understand and respect. However, having everything now in my little apartment has got me thinking. And I am trying to figure out what I truly need. What truly makes me happy. And what I can let go and still be just as content of an individual.

So like every blog post I got a some reflective questions for you to think about.

Where do you have stuff? Who is holding on to stuff that you haven't seen in years? Do you still need it? Is it worth anything? Does it still really need to be held on to? Or can you sell it, or donate it to someone who would really need it or actually use it? Get rid of it.

And your stuff doesn't even have to be physical things, it can be too many apps on your phone, too many photos that have no purpose, or too much content on social medias, or spending too much time on social media (haha, that's gonna be a whole blog post on it's own).

Just think about what you find joy in. Think about what you put your worth in. Is it the earthly things and stuff of our world? Or is it the good characteristics of friends, and the time spent with loved ones?