A Simple Strategy for Simplifying

"‘It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly.’ ~Bertrand Russell"

I read Futureshock many years ago and was inspired by the vision of a future of leasing or renting items rather than buying everything. Zen Habits has A Simple Strategy for Simplifying, based on the concept of ownership becoming more fluid and less concrete.

It was this philosophy that we followed when we moved to Wellington last year. We got rid of a house and studio full of stuff, paring everything down to clothes, computers, and two cats. Our entire life fitted into a transit van and we still haven't acquired that many new things apart from some furniture. I love the feeling of freedom of having shed everything surplus to our needs, being free of just-in-case stuff, and stressful clutter. Simplifying life has made me a lot happier.

It's amazing to think that Futureshock was written over 40 years ago, and Fast Company have published Future Shock at 40: What the Tofflers Got Right (and Wrong) and a piece on their updated predictions forty years on.