Reduce

An abundance of stuff confronts many Americans, Europeans, and others around the world.  This profusion of material possessions and the opportunity to acquire more causes in many, if not most of us, the effect of living “stuck in stuff.”  We are overwhelmed, ruled, and even paralyzed by stuff.  Our challenge in this situation is to develop a self-awareness and response to the inundation of stuff in our lives.

To reduce the amount of stuff in our lives is the necessary first step both of self-awareness and response.  For in many instances an appreciation for the damage the abundance of stuff creates in our lives is not possible without room to consider our situation, room that is only created by our freeing up space in our lives through the removal of some stuff.  Once we are aware of the dangers of stuff, our first and most natural response is to reduce the quantity of stuff we possess.

And so the first of three responses advocated by StuckInStuff.com to our over abundance is to reduce the amount of stuff in our lives.