How To Live Happier With Less In Your Life

As you will most likely know, not everyone is born into financial stability. Many people spend their lives trying to obtain a financially related goal such as having a big house, a fast car, a swimming pool and essentially a whole bunch of other stuff that isn’t truly needed. But why, i ask? Is it for an indication of status?  A way to feel like you’ve accomplished something? Or the sense of happiness that goes along with these belongings? I believe it has nothing to do with these reasons, I believe people strive to own “stuff” out of an inherent trait of all human-kind…Curiosity.

“curiosity |ˌkyoŏrēˈäsitē|
noun ( pl. -ties)
1 a strong desire to know or learn something : filled with curiosity, she peered through the window.“

Curiosity is a sensation that has filled people with a sense of “wanting” or desire for ages throughout time. From cavemen to great kings and conquerors down to the Regular Joe of the modern day, curiosity is the feature of humans that drives them to wonder what their life would be like if they owned a particular item or lived a particular experience. It is this curiosity that makes people “need” that new dress and phone, they sub-consciously think to themselves something along the lines of “If only I had that phone I would have so much more fun” or “If I had that dress, then I would look beautiful”.

Now being curious isn’t a bad thing, as a matter of fact its what has gotten humans to  the point we are at today, but you have to harness it in the right manner. I will be writing an article on this at some point.

Well I seem to have drifted a little, this article is about being happy with less in your life so here are some ideas.

The Ideas

Be Aware of What You Have – Pay attention to what you have in life, what advantages you have over other people, what your good at and what you own. Self awareness helps you understand what you need out of life and gives you direction. This in turn leads to much more happiness and fulfillment as you will not have the need to mindlessly get new things.

Get Rid Of The Clutter – Around most homes there are oodles of junk that no one needs or even looks at, this stuff is holding you back and in essence stressing you out. The clutter has to go, make your home a place of organization and peace.

Sell What You Don’t Need - Get rid of the things that you really don’t need. Now I’m not saying to go live a solitary life in the mountains of Peru without a computer, or to go sell your new Porsche because it wont make you happy, I’m just saying develop the “Less Is More” mentality.

Change Your Mindset – Developing the right mindset is crucial to happiness. Just the realization that you don’t need “stuff” to be happy is liberating. Why do you think those monks that walk around town with baskets are so happy? Is it because they have a nice basket? I think not. The are at peace with themselves and they don’t require any material possessions at all.  Sadly, this mindset is something you can’t be taught, you have to develop it in yourself and most people will never understand it.

Focus On What You Enjoy - In my opinion one of the most important things you can do is identify your passion in life and follow it like nothing else. Whether this passion is music, computers, marketing, design, helping people, animals or anything else spend time on it because this is what will make you happy.

Learn to Enjoy The Little Things – Besides your specific passion/s in life there are so many joyous things to behold. Take time to marvel in the goings on of your family and friends, take some extra time to have your coffee in the morning, don’t always focus on productivity, do things you have never done before and experience life.

There are so many more ways to live happily with less in your life, these are just a few ideas. If anyone has something to contribute let me know.

Until Next Time,

Goodbye

Photo Courtesy Of: Donna Cymek – Check out their flickr

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