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The Art of Letting Go


What if today after your long shift at work you came home to your house, along with every thing you own in it, burning to the ground? Would you be devastated by the loss? Would you become depressed?

I would be disappointed, but to tell you the truth, that's about it. Through my journey of minimalism, I have realized that the important things in life aren't actually THINGS at all. And none of the stuff I have actually defines who I am. 

After donating, selling and getting rid of about four truckloads of stuff I no longer wanted or felt like I needed, I learned to detach myself from my possessions. 

It's extremely freeing to know you could part with any object, trinket or item in your life without it affecting you in a drastically negative way. No longer would the loss of anything materialistic leave me feeling hopeless, desolate or empty.

I'll be honest with you, the overall process of minimising and simplifying was not the easiest thing I have ever done, but it has taught me so many great life-lessons, one in particular that I am very thankful for...

The more you give up, the more peace and freedom you receive.

The moment you realize everything is temporary and see that you don't actually own anything in this life, you become liberated! You start to see with a new set of eyes. 

Your perspective broadens. Your priorities change. You are no longer imprisoned by  consumerism. You are no longer chasing after materialism. Instead of collecting and hoarding the physical, you replace that desire with more lasting elements such as:

Contributing to others, 
Sharing what you have, 
Loving the world around you, 
Inspiring those you come into contact with, 
Pursuing what you are passionate about,
Learning new skills, 
Expanding your education, 
Traveling to new places, 
Experiencing new adventures, 
Growing as a person...
And truly living life to the fullest like you never had the chance to before.

It's exhilarating to think of how much can be gained from just simply letting go!

In our culture today, most Americans strive to possess more and more. The good news is that you don't have to. It's not a requirement. You can choose to place value in your experiences over things. 

It's okay to not follow the crowd. It's okay to take a different path in life. It's okay to not chase after fleeting objects that satisfy your cravings momentarily, but quickly leave you wanting more. 

You deserve better! You deserve more!

So don't waste all of your time, all of your money and all of your energy living in a never-ending cycle that has no lasting benefit. 

Jack Kornfield's quote sums it all up quite nicely, "In the end only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you".

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