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Big motivator for small living

It's been a while between posts here - mainly because we've been moving house. It's been a real motivator for downsizing.

Packing each and every item we owned, really makes me wish there were fewer of them.

Moving everything from the old apartment to the new one made me envious of those people who live in a "tiny house on wheels". For them moving house simply means towing it to a new location. No packing required.

The whole process has reaffirmed our commitment to owning less stuff. So we're going to be intentional about downsizing. It will be an ongoing activity. My environmental heart couldn't stomach a spontaneous dumping of things into the garbage, but it's also more fun this way. Selling things online brings in some handy pocket money. Giving items away is also a great community activity, whether it is to friends and family, to charity or to people in the neighbourhood.

I'm looking forward to it as a lifestyle rather than a task to do. It's about not being so tied to material possessions, about doing more giving and less taking, and about having fewer things but enjoying them more.

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