I’m in the midst of “Scarcity Brain” by Michael Easter where he explores how we are naturally wired to want to get more stuff. In prehistory, having more stuff was synonymous with higher likelihood of survival during difficult times. And, at the same time, as we were nomadic, the amount of stuff we could carry was naturally limited. As I have now lived in Sweden for 14 (!!!) years and only moved once during that time (a whole 800 meters), I notice how much stuff I have managed to accumulate over the years. Living in a large house makes it even worse as there always is space for more things to accumulate. And yet, every time I get rid of something by selling it, giving it away or simply throwing it away, I feel relief. I feel lighter and less burdened. As I wrote in an earlier reflection, you do not own stuff, stuff owns you. The recommendation in the book is to only buy gear. Gear are items that you actually use on a somewhat regular basis. Stuff are things you have simply for having them. So, my reminder to myself today is: buy gear; not stuff.