Own Less, Be More
At Quma Learning, we are all about Ownership Spirit. We recommend whole-hearted, unrestrained ownership of one’s thoughts, responses, and actions. Such unfettered endorsement of ownership does not, however, pertain to ownership of material goods and possessions.
Ownership of material goods and possessions comes with a price tag. Before you rush head-long into acquiring all those toys and trinkets, be sure you count all the costs. When it comes to possessions, all ownership is a form of bondage. Here’s why: Once you acquire something you are now responsible for its care and upkeep. You must protect and preserve your treasure, otherwise all the time, money and effort to acquire it in the first place goes for naught.
Bear in mind the most universal and powerful law of goods and possessions: Stuff breaks! Take a look around. Everywhere you go, you see things falling apart. It’s called entropy; and it’s unstoppable. If you are reading this at work, all your stuff back home is at this very moment in some stage of breaking. And, you’re the one who has to own that too—fix it or pay someone else to do it.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t own anything. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t own a home, car or clothing. On the contrary, I am a big advocate of home ownership. Just don’t go overboard. There is more to life than making an outrageous mortgage payment for 30 years. So, yes, own what you need. Own some things that you want. But count all the costs, especially when it comes to toys, recreational equipment and recreational properties.
Possessions don’t fret; possessors do. The possession makes no commotion, it just quietly and politely rusts and disintegrates. Owners are the ones with their sleeves rolled up, perspiration pouring off their brows, straining to repair or refurbish some mute, inanimate and ungrateful object. Owners are the ones shelling out cash to preserve what they shelled out cash to acquire. They’re the ones spending their weekends, vacations, and holidays taking care of the stuff they use to enjoy their free time. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who owns what in this equation.
I love being free to do what feels fun, right, and most desirable at the time. I don’t want to feel obligated or pressured by some toy or property that I bought. People who spend a lot of money on a boat or cabin, sense pressure to spend ample time using them. So they press a little, and go there when they would really rather stay home, or go somewhere else. I do not want my decisions about how to spend my time to be overly influenced by how I spent my money. I want my free time to be free time.
The point here is not how much you can save or make by owning less, but what you can be and do by owning less. Own only the essentials, and you will own more life. To be more, own less.
- Dennis R Deaton
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