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We’re in the process of moving into a new apartment in the next couple weeks. I’ve moved a few times during my life and it’s always a physically and mentally exhausting process. We’re excited for the change, as it will mean cheaper rent, a shorter commute, and closer proximity to family and friends. There are a lot of positives, but we still have a busy few weeks coming up filled with packing, lifting, cleaning, and unpacking.
While starting to pack, we’ve already come across a lot of clutter that we’ll be getting rid of. We’ve been at this current place for two years, yet somehow we’ve already managed to accumulate more stuff than I had remembered. It’s alarming how some of the items we haven’t actually even used during these last two years.
Life is More than Possessions
It has further re-affirmed that I don’t want my life to be about accumulating more possessions. When I look at the boxes piling up, the reality is that very few of our possessions actually bring me happiness. The more possessions you own, the more space you need to store them. The more time it takes to clean. The more time you spend thinking about it all. The less opportunities you have to use the items you actually enjoy most. The more money is wasted.
Don’t get sucked into the idea that you can buy your way to happiness. Our culture glamorizes mindless consumption, while promising fulfillment and prestige. It feels like there’s always the next “big thing” to throw your money at. The reality is that possessions don’t bring lasting joy to your life. There’s a reason so many celebrities and athletes go broke.
Gratitude in Action
However, not all athletes and celebrities get caught up in these extravagant lifestyles. Sometimes there’s someone who stands out from the rest, and we can learn a lot from these rare examples. A story circulated this past week about former NFL player Jason Brown. In 2009, he signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract. After earning $25 million in his career, he walked away from the rest of the money. He taught himself how to farm, and now he has around 1,000 acres of crops, which he donates to people in need in his home state of North Carolina.
In the midst of constant negativity and brokenness in our world, it’s inspiring to read stories like this about people who are striving to make the world a better place.
Life isn’t about accumulating more. As Jason Brown says in the video, “when I think of a life of greatness, I think of a life of service.” That couldn’t be more spot on. I’ve found that the more generous I am, the happier and more fulfilled I feel.
Life is More Than Money
I’ve never been about making the most money as possible. While I love to write about money, my goal is to help as many people as possible improve their financial lives and win with money. I want millennials to leave a lasting legacy, and shed the label of being “lazy” or “entitled.”
Learning to manage money well helps reduce a lot of day-to-day stress. It’s not about getting rich, it’s about building wealth over time. Wealth that my wife and I want to be able to use to travel, spend time with our future grandchildren, pour into our church, and bless others.
Carey Nieuwhof once said, “There are no inspiring stories of accumulation, only inspiring stories of sacrifice.”
You’ll never regret giving your time, talents, and money to charitable causes. I’ve also been surprised to find that in my own life, the more generous I am, the more it seems to come back to me. That’s not the motivation behind it, but it’s just interesting how it seems to work out that way.
You can’t control your circumstances in life, but you can control your attitude about those circumstances. Gratitude and optimism go a long way. We live in the most affluent country in the world, in the most luxurious time period in history. There are so many people out there with much less than what we have, who also have much better attitudes and outlooks on life than we do.
Accumulating as much as possible is no way to live a fulfilling life, and we should remind ourselves this truth as often as possible. I know I’ll be thinking about it a lot as I continue to fill all these boxes.
What do you think? What brings you fulfillment in your own life?
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Image source: Anderson Transport Edinburgh