Experiences > Things
I'd rather have memories than cheap Temu crap.
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Onward!
I’ve recently been cleaning up the photos on my phone. As much as I preach minimalism, I am not a digital minimalist. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever made a concerted effort to delete photos before. Yikes! It is exhausting mentally, but it’s also made me so, so aware of the things I value.
To trick myself into buying less or even trick myself out of temptation, I’ll often screenshot an item. And friends, let me tell you: I have almost never gone back to that photo. I’m now deleting them, but I’ll tell you what I’ll never delete: photos of my dog, photos of my partner and photos of the experiences we’ve done together.
Now, not all experiences have to be expensive! I value our trips together, of course, but I also value the time we’ve spent working in our garden, going to a museum or even just sitting on the couch together.
In a couple of months my Low Spend Year will be over and I’ll purchase a few things. But, buying things has never made me feel alive. If anything, it’s made me feel hollow. It’s a quick hit of dopamine and after, often there’s the crash of “why the hell did I buy this thing?”
What has made me feel alive? Growing flowers, cultivating vegetables, getting out into the sunshine, holding hands with my love, snuggling my dog, sitting with my chickens, observing another culture and the moment when I look around and think: “I’m small and insignificant and isn’t that wonderful!”
How are you cultivating more experiences in your life? Also have you ever deleted massive amounts of photos from your phone? How did it go? Let me know in the comments.