I have too much stuff.
The problem with stuff is that it somehow becomes a case of the tail wagging the dog. Which is to say, eventually, you don't own stuff - stuff owns you.
When I was little I used to dream that living in a castle or mansion would be cool. Now that I am older and more experienced, I envy the people in the magazine ads that show a room with plain white walls, hardwood floors and one chair and lamp. Truly minimalist.
I suppose neither of those choices are realistic, I do like to have stuff, and I really don't think I could live happily at either of those extremes.
So, the way I see it, the problem lies in having just the right amount of stuff. Enough to fulfill the desire to own things, enough to do what I need it to do, but not so much that I have no room left to buy any more or that I would be unable to move it all if I had to.
Tools are a great example. You want to have the tools you need to do the work you want to do, but not so much that you have to buy more storage for tools you will never use. There is something elegant about having just the right amount instead of having lots, but not what you need.
I used to feel I should keep every book I ever bought and read. Magazines too. After a bit, it turned out that was a bad plan. I had to keep buying bookshelves that started to take over the house. Books are great, but not that great!
So I come to where I am today. Still with too much stuff, but learning to let things go, throw things away and pare things down. I wish I could say it is going well, but it is a slow process. I'm trying to only keep things that I need, or use. And trying to part with things that I don't need, but just wanted to own.
It's tough, but so far, I'm winning and the boxes of storage are getting smaller and I've (mostly!) stopped buying things just because I want them.
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