Finding True Security

When my wife and I began minimalizing and I saw how much excess stuff we had, I began to ask myself some difficult questions: Why did we buy all this excess in the first place? What were we thinking? The answers were even more difficult: Maybe I am more in love with stuff than I ever realized. Maybe I am more susceptible to the world’s messaging than I thought. Maybe I am trying to find security in the things that I own.

It was hard to discover these things about myself, but in the end they were life-changing realizations for me. And I never would have discovered them unless I had started to give away my things.

Minimalism is important to your self-discovery. As you begin to clean out, ask yourself, Am I buying too much stuff because deep down I think it will keep me safe? And if so, what is that costing me? 

In our society, too many of us believe security can be found in owning possessions. In truth, the list of possessions that we truly need for life is quite short, and most of us already have those things. 

Many of us collect large stockpiles of possessions in the name of security when we are actually accumulating comfort (or desired pleasure). We work long hours to purchase these things. And we purchase bigger and bigger houses to store them. If that costs us in other areas of life, such as our family and friendships, then that’s the way it goes. 

Yet lasting security can never be found in temporal possessions or even a bigger paycheck. The contingencies of life are too many, and the power of possessions to protect us is too weak. This is why we always desire more. We never arrive at a full sense of security. 

If you decide that one of your motives for overaccumulating is because you’re trying to find a sense of security in your possessions, then I urge you to cut back on buying and owning and instead put more effort into relationships. Rich relationships can not only bring you joy; they can bring true security. At the same time, you will be contributing to others’ sense of security and satisfaction too—so much more productive than building your own private fortress of wealth! 

In what ways do you look to your possessions for security?