“What you possess, you lose.” –Zen Proverb
The more we have, the more we lose.
At a certain point, enough becomes too much. And too much comes with its own type of needs.
Material possessions have a cost attached to them beyond their ticket value. They need space, they need looking after. Some require servicing, some require insurance.
We may not have considered the impact these possessions end up having on our own freedom. We may not be able take off on as many holidays and travels as we would like. We may not be able to respond to last minute plans. In short, we lose a certain amount of agility.
But these possessions can also impact the freedom of those we care about most. When we are gone, someone else then has to find a home for them, look after them or sell them. Our possessions can swiftly become a burden to that someone else. Drag and weight in their lives they could well do without.
This may be a price you are prepared to pay if you have considered the outcomes. Or perhaps one unconsidered if you have been focused purely on accumulation.
The truth is, when we examine what makes us happy in a lasting way, it’s not likely to involve all that stuff. It’s likely to be related to moments, people and experiences.
If that is so, why not try to optimize for those outcomes by allowing space in our lives for them?