How Important Is Your Stuff?
Last night a friend shared they were struggling with letting go of certain material possessions (ones they had accumulated for years and valued deeply); as we all do, I thought I would share the following insights.
“When you realize that all your material achievements are of value only in comparison with those who don’t have them, this is joy that springs from another’s deprivation. Can you really call this joy? Isn’t it actually a kind of sickness? It is time everyone addressed this.
If you were alone on this planet, what would you want for yourself?
Ask yourself this question and see where it takes you.
Try this. Sit alone for five minutes and see what your life would be like if you were absolutely alone in this world. If there were nobody or nothing to compare yourself with, what would you truly long for? What would really matter to you if there were no external appreciation or critique?
If you do this every day, you will become aligned with the longings of the life that you are, rather than the accumulated karmic mess that you believe you are.”
— Sadhguru. Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy (pp. 220-221).
Related:
“The Story of Stuff”
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns.
