Through my eyes

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:

• Firstly question yourself. Start your process by asking the most important question: "How might my life be better with less " By answering this question, you will identify the benefits of letting go.
  
• Next you must start small. Once you understand why you're de-cluttering, you want to start small so that you can get the momentum you need.
  
• Then you should throw a packing party. Once you have momentum, let go of more stuff! And no matter where you are on your journey, always remember: The easiest way toorganizeyour stuff is to get rid of most of it.
  
• So instead oftrying to impresseveryone with our valuables, we should focus on impressing upon the world our values. And the best way to do that is to make something meaningful.
  
• Creating is a better way to convey who we are. Flaunting our personal property signals to others that we care only about ourselves. However when our identities are shaped by creativity, our creations can be an honest way to signal to the world that we care about others, too.
  

So if you're spring-cleaning, I hope you're inspired to lighten your load and increase your impact on your world.