This week Awesome Stories brings you the power of less.
Matt Kahn’s video about The Apathy of Options really resonated with me.
Now I’m inspired to purge even more of my stuff to see if I can get to the place of only keeping what I truly love, need and use. I’ve been a minimalist, living simply for years, partly driven by moving a lot, then downsizing after selling my house. I currently rent a room in someone else’s home. I’ve been keeping some things with the idea I might need or use them in the future. This is how we fill up our houses, closets, garages, and storage lockers.
Matt’s video also inspired me to focus on having fewer choices in my life. His message is that the fewer options we have, the more fulfillment we find. Our culture is awash in choices, driven by marketing to stir up needs, and egos that fear loss. This means if we’re still living largely from ego, we are constantly chasing happiness outside of ourselves in objects. We even start to treat people as objects.
Matt helped me see how loss is the universe’s way of nudging us to move away from ego and the things that keep us distracted from our deepest truth and path. Loss is part of the initiation to wake up, letting go of ego consciousness. It feels hard and painful because there is a loss of the things and old ways, along with the death of the ego.
Matt poses the question “What if we don’t need any more than what we truly use in the present?”
Allow yourself to part with what you don’t need or use. Start fully embracing exactly where you are and what you have. Let go of other options. I almost always keep the door open for some other option, an escape hatch that allows me to avoid commitment and going deep into a place, job, or relationship. If we trust the universe is working for our highest good, then that means gains and losses are on purpose, not some kind of reward or punishment for our behavior.
In case you want to explore this topic further, here is Matt’s video on The Apathy of Options.
I’ve also been reading and enjoying the messages from The Grandmothers Speak via Sharon McErlane. Their recent message on the power of love nicely dovetails with the idea of letting go of options and distractions to focus on love. Almost everything we worry about; health, money, jobs, even relationships, has very little to do with love. According to Sharon, and I agree, they are mostly distractions and entertainment.
Integrating both of these messages, the real purpose of loss is to wake us up to deeper capacities and our ability to love. At the end of our lives, we will realize that the only thing that really matters is love. So why not get on with it now. And remember the power of small acts. Each smile, act of kindness or generosity contributes to the “net of light” and builds the energy of love and light in the world.
May we learn to love more fully.Â
Blessings, Brad
writing to freedom 
Great reminders, Brad! We have too many consumer options these days!
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Thanks. Agreed Cynthia.
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So good, Brad, I resonate with this as well. 😊
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I’m glad. 🙂 Thanks Julie.
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I’ve often thought if we had fewer choices we would be happier as a species and although I still have far too much ‘stuff’, I find that I feel the need for less of it as I get older.
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Agreed Andrea. I’ve been downsizing for a while and it feels good. And I still have room to go on less choices in other areas of my life.
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Very true! I picture “things” like baggage we have to carry through life in a big backpack. The more we have the more it tires us and slows us down. I think of the fishermen Jesus called – they dropped their nets and followed, entering into a new life of love, miracles, (and yes danger!) Freedom is in how little you carry, what things you feel are important enough to put in the backpack, and yes, love tops the list!
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Thanks Claire. I like that analogy. I’m working on having a small backback. 🙂
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Yep, travel light and live to the fullest!
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LOVE this, Brad!! I am a minimalist, and I can’t tell you how much more connected and alive I feel by owning only the things I need. Too much stuff makes me feel tied to a particular place. I no longer feel that way because in my possession are so few things and I could pick up and go in an instant. What a great feeling. Thanks for sharing this, Brad. Hope you are enjoying your weekend! Big hug,​ to you!
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Thanks Tanya. It is very freeing. Kudos for knowing and living so simply! I remember how wonderful it was the two summers that I lived out of a VW camper and discovered I didn’t really miss or care about stuff when I was traveling and having adventures.
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This is wonderful and so inspiring. I love the minimalist life and unloading stuff. I used to spend lots of time camping as a young woman. It was amazing how much free time I had without having to take care of stuff! Time for another “unstuffing!”
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Thanks Diana. I’m glad we could inspire you to “unstuff!”
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Love this! J and I were actually having this conversation this morning and it’s funny how your article gives credence to what we were talking about. We live in a house with two bedrooms and one bath. I actively seek out ways to NOT buy things – unless I need them. We do have things stored in the basement from our last move, but steadily I’ve been going through boxes (mostly of books) to get rid of the ones I know I’ll never need or read again. We’ve always tended toward the “simple” since we’ve been married. We actively chose not to work ourselves to death to have the nice cars and bigger house. Our smaller house will be easy to rent if we ever decide to pick up and travel, and I’ve been culling and culling things we don’t need. It’s very freeing. Love that you’re talking about this here, too. 🙂
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Kudos Cynthia. How wonderful to have a partner who’s on the same page for simple living. I’m glad my post reinforces your conversation. It’s interesting to me that all the comments are about the material stuff side, when Matt’s talk and my new insight was how too many choices in lifestyle are holding me back, not the stuff.
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What a inspiring post! I agree that we have so many things which we don’t even use. Your post helps to understand the importance of unloading few stuff from the closet and mind.
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Thank you and welcome. blessings, Brad
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This is well timed advice for me, Brad. We are looking at relocating in the foreseeable future and I will have to do a big clean out.
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I’m glad the ideas and timing are of use to you Robbie. Good luck with the move and downsizing. If I was closer, I’d offer to help. 🙂
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Yes I too agree Brad these malls have made us mad and so much stuff unnecessary all a waste. A great informative article and read.
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They’re part of the culture of marketing.
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Yes absolutely and all this done to make money for themselves and fool us into shopping and shopping like crazy.
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