Skip to main content

Being Happier with Less

Tomorrow marks the first full day of autumn and the third anniversary of my newest tradition: The Autumn Toss-Out.

I began this ritual a few years ago after reading a book by Peter Walsh called, “It’s All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff.” (Well, I’m over forty. I had a lot of stuff!) How can this effect your health and wellness? Well, Peter explains in real-world terms, and with as much sympathy as possible, that in our accumulation we create unnecessary stress and overwhelm in our lives. An excerpt from his book reads;

“You want a life built on a solid foundation, but you can’t even see the floor beneath you. You want to lose weight but your kitchen is overwhelmed with appliances you never use. You want to build your career, but your office literally makes you feel ill. You want to change? This is where it starts: your home. Where you live, breathe rest, love and create. Get rid of the clutter. Get organized. If you do, I promise that every aspect of your life will change in ways that you never imagined possible.”

A point that struck a particularly resonating chord with me is that many times we have so much stuff that we lose track of it, don’t even remember what we have, and eventually just get more of the same. Or, we keep something supposedly for sentimental reasons but we don’t honor and respect its significance. Instead, we squirrel it away in some dark forgotten corner until one day it’s re-discovered and promptly hidden away again.

Well, to make a long story short, I’m taking the autumnal change as my queue to “toss-out” all that doesn’t have a positive function in my current life. I’ll go through my home, pull out clothes that no longer fit my family or that we haven’t worn in over a year and set them aside for donations. The same goes for books and other ephemeral data that will be sent to resale shops or recycling.

In other words, I'll focus only on keeping what’s important and pulls me forward in my life. Possessions really can “weigh you down” if you let them. For a more thorough explanation of the benefits of “letting stuff go,” I suggest reading Joe Walsh’s book. It’s a quick, easy read and if applied to your life, will help make it a happier one indeed.

Enjoy the autumn weather and as always – Enjoy Your Life!

John Aaron Villarreal


Bio: I am a Houston based, male massage therapist and wellness coach specializing in pain management and health programs for individuals over the age of forty. I laugh - a lot. I'm quirky but sincere. And, while I'm not a counselor, I do listen and I do care: Except for the times that I don't. That’s a joke - Did I mention that I like to laugh? Anyway, visit my website, call or email me and let's get together to talk about you, and the many ways to live life better!
The Legal Stuff: I write to inform, inspire and encourage my readers to enjoy all that life has to offer.
The content and information on this site is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease.
Please consult your physician prior to starting any exercise, diet or wellness program.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What To Do When You’re Chronically Stressed

Of all the modern-day ailments that seem to affect us, none is more pervasive than stress. Everywhere you turn, there are factors lurking to redirect you from your peaceful pursuit of happiness and lock you in the clutches of “stress.” What exactly is stress—and what more insidious effects does it cause? The dictionary defines stress as “great pressure or force; strain.” In today’s world, we think of stress as the result of too much pressure laid upon us by life, causing mental worry or anguish. This, in turn, manifests itself in tight neck and shoulders, headaches, nervous stomach, etc. But these physical and mental conditions are really only the beginning. Studies show that stressful situations can develop into more threatening health conditions. For instance: A sudden or unexpected stressor can activate your adrenal glands, which sends adrenaline and other hormones into your bloodstream. This brings about an increase in your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood f...
Post a Comment
Read more

What to Do If You’ve Got High Cholesterol

As I've gotten older I've realized that takes more than an apple a day to keep the doctor off your back. If you've got high blood pressure or cholesterol levels, the good doc is going to pester you about it—apple or not (and he should!). But don’t blame him - he’s trying to save your life. According to the American Heart Association, 105.2 million adults have borderline to high risk blood cholesterol levels. In addition, nearly one in three adults suffers from high blood pressure and these numbers grow every year. Even more frightening; 82% of those at high risk are unaware of their condition. Could you be one of them? Whether you've had your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked lately or not, these conditions are deadly and sneaky—many people are unaware of the danger lurking in their own arteries. In fact, many firmly believe that what you don’t know can’t hurt you… They’re dead wrong. What’s so bad about high blood pressure and cholesterol levels...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ingredients That can Sabotage Your Waistline and Health

It can never stressed enough how important it is that we know exactly what we are eating. With today’s marketing it is so easy to want to what the labels and brightly colored packages of convenience foods say to us, but approach with caution. While a packaged meal may be advertised as healthy, it’s up to you to find out if it really is before you simply buy into a few good words that may or may not be true. People get very excited when they see that convenience foods are labeled as “healthy” or “low-fat,” (I’ve been guilty about this, too) but some minor research needs to be done before indulging. The following are 3 ingredients that I recommend be avoided as much as possible. Trans-fats Trans-fats are found in so many foods that you probably eat on a regular basis. Trans-fats can be found in baked goods, microwave popcorn, fast foods, and frozen foods. These items are all convenient, but they’re not worth risking your health for. Trans-fats can cause an increase in bad choleste...
2 comments
Read more