My husband and I have been considering downsizing: perhaps getting a smaller home or even a condo. But then I begin to panic. Where will we store all the things we have accumulated over the years?
When we first got married, we had very few things. We lived a simple life, no luxuries, and it was very easy to pick up and move. It was also a very happy life. The less material items we had, somehow the happier we were.
But as time went along we accumulated things: more furniture, more clothing, more dishes, more pots etc. etc.
And it was not just our things. Some of our children left their stuff at our home as they moved on in life.
We also needed to buy more mattresses for when the children and grandchildren would visit.
We needed more Pesach pots….
and of course more sheets, blankets, towels….
and then we needed freezers to store many things because we would buy things in bulk….
We have been carrying around machinery that we could not sell from a business we once had to stop. We could not just throw out the machinery….
Every time we moved, so did all our things. And it was stressful and difficult. Granted we always left behind certain things, but the main things came with us.
So when I think of moving, I just cannot imagine how we can downsize….where would I put all the baggage? Where would we put those things that we consider essential? (And that we probably could never sell either….)
But should all the baggage stop us from moving and having a simpler, happier life?
And then I started thinking about life: we carry around a lot of baggage in our life.
And it makes our lives complicated. Complicated and not so happy.
If we all would downsize, would start to discard the baggage we don’t need and that only burden us with unhappy emotions etc., we would allow ourselves the opportunity to enjoy life. To really live that simple, happy life we all really desire.
So what stops us? The baggage that we cant let go of. The emotions, fears, memories, resentments, hurt feelings etc. We cannot let go of those things because often they define who we think we are. We cant imagine life without our baggage!
So it is time to really ponder the idea of downsizing: downsizing our emotions, our needs, our feelings and moving on to a better, happier and simple life! L’chaim!