Self (dis)assembly

There's a lot of who I am that isn't really who I am.

For a long time I wanted the new car, the big house, the tight firm body and the perfect hair.
But why?
I didn't need any of those things, but I wanted them to fit in and be accepted and because I thought it would make me happy.
But it wasn't making me happy.
I'd been tricked into thinking that those things were important.
And I wasn't alone.

Lately, I've stopped wanting those things.
I don't want to spend my life chasing a six-pack.
I don't need designer clothes.
Wearing the latest style of business shirt with a perfectly matching tie did not make up for the fact that I was miserable and stuck in an office all day.

The solution?
To rid myself of the unnecessary clutter of life.
To purge myself of the adopted wants of a society that is slowly drowning in dissatisfaction.
Less is more.

So I am beginning to wipe the slate clean and whatever remains will be me and only me.

The first step was to quit my job.
I did this six months ago and I've never been happier.
I have less money, but I'm happier now than having the extra money was making me.

The second step was to shave off my hair.
I did this two months ago and it was liberating in a way that I couldn't even imagine. With that one act I was emancipated from my desire to be handsome or sexy. I look how I look, and that's enough. I'm OK with that now.

The third stage is to rid myself of all the useless possessions that I've bought and have been holding on to for years.
This stage is still underway. By the end I hope to own so little that I could fit it all in one suitcase.
Most of it I'm giving away to friends or charities. Some of it goes straight in the bin.

Every step along this path makes me a little more free, a lot happier, and a little closer to being who I want to be.



Question for the readers:
What do you own that is holding you back? What could you throw away?
Answer in the comments.