Live Abundantly With Less
We live in a world of more; more shoes, more furniture, more things.
But does all this stuff mean that we’re actually living more abundant lives?
Not necessarily.
Stuff only makes us happy for a short time- and what truly creates long-term happiness aren’t the material things but rather stronger relationships, health, and a real sense of purpose.
So then, how do we ditch the excess and start to live abundantly?
1.Declutter
One of the easiest ways to remove the stuff in our lives is to declutter. This could mean decluttering your home, your mind, or your life.
Clutter overwhelms us, distracts us, and can weigh us down physically and emotionally when we can’t let things go for sentimental reasons, guilt or shame.
When we remove clutter, we are forcing ourselves to make decisions.
“Clutter is nothing but postponed decisions.” Barbara Hemphill
When we make the decision to let go we build confidence and self-esteem; it even
makes us feel calm and less anxious.
Once we remove the clutter, we make space for creativity and focus, and the clarity to see what we really want in our life.
2.Prioritize
Prioritize is what’s REALLY important.
So often, we’re on autopilot, just trying to get through the days until the weekend, without giving any thought to what REALLY makes us happy.
When we take a moment to write down what gets us out of bed every morning and then make those things a priority in our day- we create room for what matters most to us.
Filling our homes with more stuff doesn’t give more meaning to our lives or make us happier long term- not like deepening relationships with family & friends, getting out of debt or making health a priority.
Prioritizing creates space in our lives for the important things and ensures that we take the time we need to work on them.
3.Stop Competing
To live abundantly means stop trying to “keep up with the Jones.”
Competing means we’re constantly seeking the approval of others which breeds feelings of envy, low self confidence, and depression. Competing with others only keeps us in a lack mindset and focused on being accepted by others of which we have no control.
“Comparison is the Death of Joy” Mark Twain
4.Be Grateful
Being grateful inspires feelings of abundance and additional benefits such as improved health and happiness, better sleep and more energy.
“Expressing thanks may be one of the simplest ways to feel better.”
Harvard Medical School
Being grateful keeps us in the present moment and stops us from playing the story in our heads, “Someday when I have (blank) I will be happy. It keeps us grounded and shows us that what we already have is enough.
Cultivating gratitude can help give our lives meaning and purpose.
5.The Joy of Giving
As humans, we love to experience new things. New events or activities bring us excitement, anticipation and joy. But we also experience something called hedonic adaptation, which means that every time we repeat that experience, it brings us less excitement and joy. But there is one exception to this rule; the act of giving.
You might say that we are hard-wired to give. Our brain releases endorphins when we give that make us feel compassion, and a deeper sense of connection to one another that doesn’t diminish quickly -even if we do it repeatedly.
Tip: If you’re decluttering your home; donate items that no longer serve you to charity or give to friends/family who have expressed that they need them or want them. Often we find ourselves in clutter because we’re hanging onto items to give to those we love who don’t actually need them.
Conclusion
The key to living abundantly is balance. There’s room in our lives for all the people and things that we love. Oprah Winfrey said this about a home “Create a home environment that welcomes you after a hard day’s work.” Too little and your home can seem cold, too much and it’s overwhelming. Find the balance in your home and your life and start living abundantly with less.
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