I recently moved out of my parents house. \u00a0I moved everything I owned to my new apartment in Fort Wayne. \u00a0It was quite a bit of work, and I was not enjoying the process very much. \u00a0It seemed like it took forever to clear out all of the stuff I had accumulated over the decades I had lived with them. \u00a0Hundreds of trips up and down the stairs to my waiting truck.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, I didn’t find any peace in knowing I possess a lot of things. \u00a0Instead it brought about great stress. \u00a0How do I move this safely? Where do I put it in my new place? \u00a0Why do I even own this? \u00a0A lot of the stuff I owned seemed worthless to me. \u00a0It made me want to throw it all away and start over.<\/p>\n
I think that we carry things with us too long to find peace in them. \u00a0Some memories and experiences, some relationships, some possessions are just weighing us down.<\/p>\n
I have made a deliberate effort to change the way I consume. \u00a0Knowing that I would likely never have dinner guests, I chose to only buy one plate, one bowl, one spoon, one fork, one baking pan and one pot to use for myself. \u00a0It forces me to keep them clean, by doing it this way, I don’t have weeks worth of dishes piled in the sink. \u00a0I hate doing dishes, so by ensuring that I couldn’t put them off for very long, I don’t become overwhelmed when it is time to do them.<\/p>\n
Another consumption change is trying to use everything in my cupboards before I go grocery shopping. \u00a0I don’t want a collection of food I’ll never use. \u00a0It is a simple change, but as I continue to simplify my possessions, I am finding peace in having just enough. \u00a0I find peace in being content.<\/p>\n
What small practical change can you make to find room for more peace in your life?<\/p>\n
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