...that whenever you own something, it also owns you. I’ve been trying to be more conscious of the things I own, as well.

Only I don’t have the money to buy those things. Phones (with text messaging), laptops, ipads, ipods.. I’ve also been feeling the urge to clear out some things.

Re: the phones and text messaging. I don’t know many people who do that, but seeing posts here at 43T, about supportive text messages being sent or received – I just liked the idea of being able to do that myself.

I feel that way too. I’m not organized and the more stuff I have around, the less I can seem to think. But I’m not very efficient at getting rid of things :s

I have been culling a lot in the last few years little by little (I downsized from a house back into apartment living; no matter how frugal and simple a life you live, when you have a house, things tend to accumulate) and it’s been very liberating. I have more to go. I have given away furniture and many household goods, books, art, CD’s, clothes….you name it. Several friends have moved in the last few years and I would ask, “What are you in need of?” and instead of them going shopping we went to my storage locker. I have given friends, family and strangers alike many of the contents of my former life. In about 6 weeks, a local library that’s recovering from extensive damage is going to pick up about 8 boxes of books that I am donating to them, many really beautiful kids books that I used to have in my library on a shelf for my nieces and nephews. I have kept their favorites, and given them some of them as well, but the rest will be enjoyed by others soon. I feel good not to have ownership of so many things anymore. They have served their purpose with me, and in my former home, but they are no longer germane to the life I lead. Of late I have a practice that for every new thing I acquire, I get rid of other things. For example, I just bought a beautiful new necklace and earring set from a metal artist/sculptor. I gave away three others…......culling karma…..

internationally, I’m forced to get rid of everything, which is nice. It helps me to realize what my real priorities are. I recall how stifling it felt towards the end of living in my childhood room, right before I graduated high school – the heaviness of stuff.

I’m giving away all my furniture (most of it secondhand/borrowed anyway) and a lot of books and other stuff. I might even get rid of a decent amount of clothes.

Loving the feeling of starting a fresh new life, unencumbered by “stuff”!

... a little too fast for my tastes. I was hoping to have a get-rid-of buddy on here where we could dare each other to discard the stuff that we told each other we didn’t really need. Alas, your bags of stuff are gone, and I’m still sifting through my accumulated stuff… :-)