the 'stuff' of happiness

On the heels of books and films such as 'up and away', 'eat, pray, love' and a recession that I lovingly refer to as 'the flu', it's no wonder that people have taken a step back to reconsider what is truly important. In my opinion when you can turn something that could be potentially devastating into an opportunity to reevaluate your life, then there's nothing more empowering than that.  I stumbled across this article in the New York Times today and it made me think about all of the 'stuff' I'm constantly lusting after {hello}. It's totally fun to feel pretty and channel your inner Kardashian and Carrie Bradshaw, but it's also important to understand that the 'stuff' will never bring you the long lasting happiness that we're trying to buy and the distraction that this stuff brings, can get us further away from what we're seeking.

Feeling trapped in the work-spend cycle, this Californian couple started reading inspirational blogs about living simply and decided to made a change. They found a blog that challenges readers to live with up to 100 personal items, which for them ultimately looks something like this:a 400 sq foot apartment in Portland, Oregan, no cars, four plates, three pairs of shoes, two pots, and bags and bags of 'stuff' that were donated to charity. Not only do they no longer have over $30 000 worth of debt, they're happier than they've ever been.  Coincidence? I don't think so!

The same can be said for this guy who moved from San Francisco and now lives in a trailer park in Malibu. He surfs almost every day travelled the world making a documentary entitled 'Happy' and found that the one common element amongst happy people, were their strong relationships.

Whilst I know that the chances of you and I ultimately rewriting our lives in such an extreme way are slim, there is something to look at here. Let's make sure that we're focussing on the values that really bring us joy, not the stuff the distracts us from each other.

Love life, not stuff! - Tammy Strobel

love tash xo