The older I get, the more I realize that I actually do not own the stuff that I think I own. Instead, it tends to own me. My car and motorcycle need service and inspection. My hiking gear needs cleaning, anti-rain treatment and takes up space in my house. My coffee machine wants water, beans and removal of grounds (often at the same time) before it even considers making me a cup of coffee. My road bike needs maintenance as the gears are stuck. Everything I own ends up owning me. It takes my money, my time, my attention, the space I have and so on. If you don’t believe me, initiate a move to a new place to live. Preferably to a new country, as I have now done a handful of times. Then you realize how much stuff you have and what an anchor it is in our lives. My conclusion: get rid of as much stuff as I can and only keep what I use on a regular basis and what gives me joy to own. As the saying goes, most problems in the world are caused by us using people and loving things instead of using things and loving people. Let’s do the latter.