Let go of the stuff that weighs you down

And with this I mean your literal stuff. Your belongings. Having too many things just weighs you down, it chains you to a place and makes you less flexible. You should also get rid of your emotional baggage but start with your actual baggage and you will be suprised by what an emotional effect it will have.

My main task for May (besides the obvious: surviving and not messing up too badlly) has been to get rid of stuff. I helped my Mum clearing out her basement and sold stuff on Ebay. I sold my old clothes on a fleemarket and the Internet and I donated and gave away the rest. I threw away so many old letters, birthday cards, study material, scribbles, articles I tore from magazines, and so much more. I had fun going through all these memories and indulging in the nostalgia of easier times (which were tough in their own way obviously - we just tend to idealize the good old times even if they weren't so good). But I had even more fun throwing those memorias away. I will always have my actual memories- Yes, I will forget stuff but that's just my brain's way of telling me that this stuff doesn't matter anymore.

For me there's nothing more freeing than getting rid of stuff. I always wanted to have rather few things than many. The main reason is that owning little makes it that much easier to pack up and move. I live in a rented apartment where all the furniture and other stuff down to the cutlery belongs to my landlord. It makes me breath easier. Sure, some day I might invest in sturdy furniture and pretty dishes but I'm only 25 and I love the feeling of being able to leave within a couple of days to wherever life drags me to.

Also having lots of stuff around me gives me a feeling of heaviness. It's messy and crowded. I can still make my place look messy without a lot of stuff but it's much easier to do this if you own a lot.

Lastly, in the end I aks myself: What does all this stuff even mean? Nothing. Sure I like cute clothes and fascinating books but only the ones which I am actually using regurarily. That's enough. Because if you think about it, things don't mean anything. They don't feed you and they surely don't make you happy. What matters are the people you love and the activities you're passionate about. Which is why I rather spend my money on experiences than on things. And I'm glad to see that this seems to be a trend. Minimalism is in. People start to understand that belongings won't make you happy. Which shows me that we're not living in such a horrible time after all.

(PS: I know that I started a blog post with "And" - and I'm totally fine with it.)