We live in a society obsessed with consumption — there is never enough to fill the void.
Our appetite for more has led us to overvalue unimportant stuff, and spend enormous amounts of time and money on trivial things.
Buy more, watch more, listen more, use more, eat more — more. These messages are constantly imposed on us when in reality, we need to simply live more.
Our lives are crazy and busy because we feel obligated (or it feels natural) to constantly consume entertainment and information. Advertisers and companies know humans are extremely curious creatures who get distracted easily by new stimuli — this is why we devour new content on Netflix and are addicted to checking our phones for the latest Instagram or Snapchat notification. Maybe this content overload isn’t entirely healthy for us.
America is the land of overabundance, and subsequently, overconsumption to the point of waste. No other country produces as much food as efficiently, and no other country wastes as much.
The U.S. discards 40 percent of all food produced, according to research by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Excess in any form is wasteful, whether it’s buying excess food that gets thrown in the trash, or watching an excessive amount of Netflix that wastes a perfectly good day.
Omit the unneeded to make room for the important. This is a principle of the minimalist movement, which has gained momentum recently due in part by people like Joshua Becker, an author and one of the leading voices in the modern simplicity movement. Becker is also the founder of the website Becoming Minimalist. He said everything we own requires a little bit of our attention and time, and suggests everything we own should be for a reason and have a purpose.
“Once we let go of things that don’t matter, we discover all the things that really do,” Becker said in his book “The More of Less.
Humans don’t require all that much to be happy and healthy. Through the process of owning and consuming less, we are able to recognize what we really need.
When we consume less, we can create more. Everyone has the ability to create something meaningful, if they try.
Researching a new camera or lens to buy online is not the same as going out and taking amazing pictures. We can get caught up in thinking that in order to create something significant we need more stuff — the latest tablet to draw on, a better computer to design on, a nicer instrument to play.
Use what is available right now, even if you don’t personally own it. You most likely have access to an incredible amount of resources, especially if you’re a university student: Computers, equipment, books, studio or lab space and people to bounce ideas off of. Don’t let the excuse of not having enough prevent you from taking action and creating.
By consuming less, it is likely that you will experience less stress, find more freedom, have more money, be more productive and have time for the things that matter most.
It starts with feeling content. You most likely already have everything you need. Be deliberate in choosing what you consume.
Andrew Brand can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @theandrewbrand