A Culture of Excess

Have you ever thought about how much stuff you and your family have? It’s been on my mind a lot lately. Our American culture is one of excess.

Yet, for all that we have, we’re probably still no more contented, at peace, happy, successful or loved than if we lived a more simple life. (Plus, at least in my house, it often results in having more stuff to clean up and maintain.) Here are a few examples of excess we live with:

• Calendar appointments
• Long to do lists
• Unused apps on phones
• Unread books
• DVR recordings
• Hundreds of television channels
• Clothes we’re saving for our skinny self or for when they come back in style
• Nice dishes that never get eaten on
• Craft supplies
• Toys
• Gadgets
• Computer files
• Digital photos
• Superficial friendships on Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets
• Unhealthy calories consumed
• DVDs we never watch
• CDs we’ve long forgotten we own

I’m working on simplifying things. It’s  a long process. I secretly envy people who write about moving to a foreign country or small town with two bags of possessions. Already, I’ve spent two days going through my side of the closet, and it’s still a mess. I get overwhelmed by all the stuff and want to quit.

Part of the difficulty is the letting go. Even with things that have sat unused for years, it’s hard convincing myself that I don’t really need something or really won’t use it; but I’m slowly getting there. My plan is to work my way through each room of our house. This 31 Days of Margin series couldn’t have been timed any better. I’m learning a lot about creating space and getting rid of excess.

What about you…Do you ever feel like you have too much in your life? What things are hardest for you to give up?

p.s. I'm catching up on the Love Tune-Up series this weekend. It's been a full week of running for a 5K I'm doing this weekend and our Church's annual conference. I also had two guests posts this week: Stay Sane While Blogging and 101 Days of Christmas: Peppermint Hand Scrub. Please stop by and check them out.