Evaluating "stuff"

The day after Thanksgiving has become known as “Black Friday” the day of early bird sales, long lines and frantic greed. When is the last year you recall someone not getting trampled to death, beaten or in a fight over a sale item during this crazed weekend? How does one go from being thankful for the good in their life to trampling over a fellow human in order to buy that flat screen TV for $299? When will Americans realize happiness doesn’t come from owning things?

Research has shown that once people buy a much coveted item, the adrenaline rush stops and they require a new thing to seek out in order to reclaim another rush. It’s a never-ending spiral into an abyss of overindulgence. Once hooked, it’s hard to discern a life without “my stuff”.

I can tell you through my own experience that stuff is not going to make you happier, more fulfilled or more complete. You have to learn to live with less, and most people don’t do this until they are forced to. For me, I've been forced by a move from a house to a very small condo, back to a house, then an apartment, to an even smaller apartment and then into a condo. It’s easy to see the extra “stuff” one carries through life that isn’t necessary, once you let stuff go.

We also accumulate psychological and emotional "stuff" from our childhood, our young adulthood and throughout life, but we’re never taught how to de-clutter our minds in order to let some of our old stuff go. This can leave some people feeling like they’re not really being themselves, harboring unnecessary resentment, or they wake up to find that they’re not dong what they want to be doing. Everyone needs a little life de-cluttering outside of the physical stuff you keep in your home. If you find you’re not letting go of stuff in life, and could use some reorganizing, a nudge can get you started in the right direction.

Getting Prepared this Holiday Season: Excess isn't Progress

The holiday season officially starts with Thanksgiving. How can you overcome the stress?

Let's start with Thanksgiving and as the holidays progress, more helpful hints will become available. The stress first starts with the prototypical over-indulging on Thanksgiving Day. For many, this is a day of gluttony rather than being a day of thanks. As cooks stress over creating the perfect dinner, the rest of the family eagerly awaits the time to eat; laying around watching football while the bird cooks. Once the meal is served, everyone digs in and eats to the point of overeating. They may or may not give thanks but surely complain about how stuffed they are.

This is not in line with the holiday tradition of being thankful for what you have, regardless of how big your turkey is, if you have turkey at all! This Thanksgiving, whether you state your thanks to a group or just to yourself, be thankful for anything and everything you want to be thankful for. It could be as simple as the sweater you’re wearing, not overeating, or simply being thankful that you’re healthy or have the ability to see yourself in the mirror. Be thankful for all things in your life that bring you joy and you’ll feel like you’re celebrating the spirit of Thanksgiving when you're not discussing how much food you ate when you return to work. If you’re having difficulty finding simplicity and serenity in the chaos of the holidays or are on a mission to maintain your weight as you attend all of the upcoming holiday parties, maybe you need to nudge yourself to success.