One thing I truly believe is that hardships and sacrifice make me a better person. The best times of my life have been when I suffered or endured the most.

Having enough money to buy the things I want just makes me fat and lazy. A car keeps me from walking or cycling. A big house makes me want an even bigger house. More electronics and toys make we want the newest and latest gadget.

When I have money I eat more, drink more and buy more. Does it make me a better person? What do you think?

I hate “more”. Growth and self improvement only happen in times of “less.” I need to suffer to improve as a person. Convenience and affluence are the bane of humanity.

The problem with “stuff” is that it consumes mental energy. We shop for, covet, clean, maintain and protect our “stuff.”

Buy a new car and see how much you wash it and care for it. Your didn’t care about your old car, it was already scratched, dented and ready for replacement. But how you care for the new one.

Possess nothing and you do not have to worry about damage or theft. I wonder how much of our time is spent thinking of “stuff?” I imagine it is too much. I can think of some better ways to direct that energy.

I have always felt that this was a great guideline for our relationship to “stuff”.

Whew, glad to hear that from someone else. I often feel like a crazy freethinking hippie in the middle of stereotypical suburbia because I don’t participate in most other “ordinary” activites.

I am, however, going to sell the bass guitar. I got it on a whim, but I realized I really *don’t* want to take the time to learn it; I just liked saying I owned one. It’s going right back on Craigslist and decluttering a spot in the room.

@J.D. – Thanks for mentioning Unclutterer.com. It’s one of my daily website feeds (with yours, of course :~), thesimpledollar.com and zenhabits.com.)

For me, it helps to give myself permission to admit, “I really DON’T care about ______,” especially when it applies to things that others think I *should* care about. I really DON’T care about home holiday decorations, or about popular novels and movies, or about whether my children play sports and take dance lessons. I DO care about creating a feeling of warmth and hospitality in my home, and enriching my brain with good books, and that my children are physically active … but all these things are possible without resorting to the middle-class default ways of doing them.

It also helps to remind myself that a balanced life means adding in good things as well as subtracting out that which is toxic or even just mediocre.

I was heartened by this bit from Erin’s post: “Have you always wanted to learn to play the flute? Get your hands on a flute and start taking lessons. You’ll be really awful those first six months (or year or five), but you’ll never learn to play the flute if you don’t take the chance and try.” I gave singing lessons a go several years ago but got discouraged quickly when I realized just how much practice it would take to improve my abilities. Erin just gave me permission to sound awful for five years if that’s what it takes to add more joy to my life.

When I was fifteen, I couldn’t really speak any English. My parents suggested that maybe I could go to some English-speaking country for a summer exchange program.

So, when I was sixteen, I spent 4 weeks with a family in LA. After three weeks, I was able to read and speak English quite well.

Fifteen years later my accent I still have an awful accent. But hey, at least I am able to follow your blog and even throw in an occasional comment.

I find it difficult to get rid of clutter. I don’t know how to choose what stuff to let go or keep the things that I really need.

I read about everyone else doing what they wanted to do while I just read. Get up and move. You don’t have to read 100 blogs daily…it’s okay. Even if your job is related to blogging. It’s no wonder you are feeling frustrated and stressed.

Get out there and do something and then write about it. Not all of us read 100′s of blogs daily and we’ve chosen yours (JD) to read because we like your style and your outlook on life and the fact that you leave politics out of your posts.

In other words, purge the unnecessary, and do what you enjoy with full focus and enthusiasm!

As I become more energized in my work and in my businesses, I find that increased activity in those areas are not a source of mental or psychic clutter, but rather a positive expression of growth. After much soul searching, I realize that as a personality, I like a lot of activity that I LIKE, rather than the other two options I had been choosing: too much activity that I disliked, or no activity at all!

In other words, simplifying, for me, was not just a matter of emptying my life out of junk that needed purging, but also replacing that clutter with goods or activities I really enjoyed. I don’t mind a bit of complexity and challenge.

Truthfully, I am less Zen-like in nature than I have been aspiring to be; rather, being “detached” was just another ego-chasing label I was trying to emulate. One more thing for the trashcan…out it goes!

I’ve added a new page with lots of links on more happiness and less consumption. Hope it’s helpful to those interested: http://www.diamondcutlife.org/resources/

An example… I recently saved and bought a new HDTV for the family instead of going to the show every other week. I also picked up a name brand Blu-Ray player at a tremendous discount. I rent all my Blu-Rays from Netflix for $20 a month and I don’t actually buy any discs other than animated features that I know my son will watch a hundred times. I also sold all my old DVDs on Ebay and received a few hundred dollars to offset the expense.

So, I cut about 100 unwatched DVDs from my household, picked up a BD player, and bought 10 kids films… with no OOP expenses.

My tolerance of “stuff” is directly related to how productive I feel. If I am getting projects checked off my list, I don’t mind a little clutter. If I’m feeling frustrated, I go into purge mode!

Regarding weight loss … it really starts with nutrition. Try keeping a food diary for a week (don’t change your usual diet, make no judgements, just write everything down), then look at where you could replace high-calorie foods with lower-calorie, higher-nutrition options. … I haven’t read your fitness blog much, but it does seem you are very running-focused. You may see some rapid results if you completely change your fitness regimen for a couple of months. Good luck!

p.s. plan a trip to a French-speaking country and buy a Rosetta tutorial. you’ll learn French in no time!

Some are blessed with my different options in life. I’d rather have two paths to take instead of 8. At the end of the road, the pot will still be good.

Readers, please come have a look at my new blog, the puts a a little different perspective on personal finance. JD, thanks for all your posts. You’ve inspired me to start my own.

Yes. Yes, I do.

But that’s okay. I’ve found that stress brings opportunities to grow. It’s uncomfortable while I’m in the thick of it, but I will adapt and become better for it.