What if everything you ever thought you wanted isn't what you actually want
At a recent talk I listened to an accomplished businessman describe how normal it is to show off your wealth with expensive cars, fancy jewellery and exorbitanthomes. Walking out of the talk I realised that there was something profoundly untoward with this "virtue signalling".
The reality is that by showing off our fancy new possessions, we think that we're communicating our values to the world, but what we are actually doing is confusing our valuables with our values.
What we need to realise is that our real values can only be revealed by our actions, not by our possessions. And yet we continue to amass new stuff, adorning an empty facade with insignia, hoping to impress anyone who sees it.
Branded clothes, logo embossed handbags, million rand cars and beachfront penthouses. We all know what I am talking about. Consumerism encourages us to 'commodify' our identities. However if we really want to dazzle others, we wouldn't do so via our possessions. Not in a meaningful way in the least.
Our recent #Vanlife adventure has pushed me to realise that less is more and that life becomes so much richer when you stop chasing the 'buck'. Living a meaningful life with less is really where I want to be headed and I have been making some research into a minimal lifestyle.
And here are a few tips on how to start a minimalist living:
So if you're spring-cleaning, I hope you're inspired to lighten your load and increase your impact on your world.
Core Version: 6.02.21 |
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