It’s more than just a 90 minute movie of eye candy abs, it’s a thought. As I cuddled Bill last night, I told him there’s an order of monks who are only allowed to own 200 possessions. I’ve thought about this over the years, mentally going over in my head just what I’d own if I could only own 200 things. Do shoes count as two or one? I don’t have to count toothpaste, do I? As I assembled my list, I’d get bogged down in the details. But I told Bill it’s an interesting exercise in your priorities, if you take the time to think about it. I estimate I own probably more than 20,000 things. I really have no way of knowing, if you think of all the DVDs, CDs, books and jewelry - maybe 20,000 right there. I don’t even know what’s in the boxes in the basement or garage - maybe 20,000 little things in just one box!
So I amended the 200 to 300 right away. I only included three books: the Bible (trite, but I really DO love some of the stuff in it), “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran and “Gifts from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I didn’t take any CDs, only my iPod, my computer, and most of my artwork. Only one picture of my mom, and a picture of my whole family (or would one giant photo album count as one item?). I would take all of my plants, but not much furniture - only family stuff, like Grandma’s coffee table and secretary and dining room table. I made it to 200, but forgot about the bed, linens, blankets, and dishtowels, so I amended it again. How about this: how about only owning 300 items PER ROOM? Okay, the downstairs closet definitely counts as a room, because it’s really big. I think I own 30 coats, 50 scarves, and countless gloves. I’m serious. I counted the rooms - 20 rooms. That’s, uh, 6000 items I can own. Well, up from the original 200, but what’s a girl to do?
I talked with Steve about it this morning, and bless him, he went right along with me on it. “But then I get 6000 items, and Bill does, too...” “But that’s 18,000 items!” I protested. “That’s probably what we already own! What’s the difference, then?” He just smiled his Cheshire cat smile at me, knowing he’d gotten me. Hey - I’m just thinking here. But I think I’m onto something. Do we really NEED all of the ‘things’ we own? That bookcase full of CDs we haven’t played in 5 years? Those books? (in my defense, I just gave away 300 books) All of those family knickknacks that just need to get dusted? I don’t know - I told Steve I might count my things (yes, I’m kind of insane), and might commit to giving away half of them all. I don’t know yet. It sounds radical, but I remember thinking we needed to move. My small still voice answered me confidently, “You can move, but first you should give away half of everything you own.” It wasn’t an EDICT, just pointing out that we probably owned twice as much ‘stuff’ as we really needed. Besides, it would make it much easier if we DID only own half of what we owned. Our house wouldn’t be so cluttered, it wouldn’t take so long to clean, and it would feel more streamlined. Definitely be better energetically.
I don’t know quite yet what I’ll do - I’m still formulating it all. Steve doesn’t mind, as long as I don’t touch his ‘stuff.’ Bill doesn’t own that much stuff, unless you count each Lego as one (then he owns about a million things!). It’s just a mindset, a way of seeing things in new, fresh ways, this 300 business. Maybe I’ll go watch the movie again, just to get some inspiration. Hey, I bet Girard Butler in the movie didn’t own that much stuff - certainly not a lot of clothes! Hey - whatever helps us spiritually, right? That’s my goal, today and always. What’s YOUR 300?