Sam Davidson is an entrepreneur, writer, inspirer (made up word), and all around awesome guy. His company, Cool People Care, motivates people to learn something new every day and challenges everyone to change the world, 5 minutes at a time. Sam is paving the way for social entrepreneurs. A for profit company benefiting non-profits, seeking to continually give back to others, and serving the bottom line of the community. I encourage all of you to visit Cool People Care on the web at www.coolpeoplecare.org – Stop by Sam’s personal blog www.samdavidson.net, and follow him on Twitter: @samdavidson. Odds are you’ll probably learn a thing or two, be motivated to try something new, and make a great friend in the process. Much thanks to Sam for putting this together. You rock dude!
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Take It Off!
So Matt doesn’t like pants. I mean, he named his entire blogging empire (is it an empire yet?) one that encourages pantlessness.
I don’t really like socks. Well, unless they’re really good, like the ones I run in. But I like them because they don’t feel like socks. This is why I take my shoes off as often as I can. It’s also why I rock flip flops, slip-ons, TOMS, and any other kicks that allow me to remove them quickly when appropriate (or not) so as to go about my tasks in sockless and shoeless bliss.
Some people don’t like hats. Some don’t like scarves or even underwear. And, as such, those people don’t wear those things and they’re able to get along fine and perhaps even be more productive in the process.
That’s because accumulation prohibits us from becoming our best selves.
Unless you have Excessive PackRat Disorder (not sure that’s the official medical term), you feel somewhat liberated when cleaning out your closet or getting rid of what’s clogging up your storage space in your garage. And while we’re centuries removed from our nomadic ancestors, we still weren’t meant to carry around a bunch of stuff on this journey called life.
Don’t get me wrong – I own a lot of stuff. And I don’t think I could easily get rid of most of this stuff. Stuff like my laptop, my TV, my bed, my sockless shoes, my couch – you get the picture. But, I’m always pleasantly surprised when I get by with less. In fact, I feel extremely free, unshackled by the things I own, all of which dare to own me right back.
Don’t believe me? Try getting rid of something. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, or even something you’re particularly fond of. In fact, it can be downright neglected and hideous. Do it. Give it to Goodwill. Offer it up for free on Craig’s List. Trash it. Whatever you do, before you go to bed tonight, get rid of one thing.
Take a deep breath. How was that? Feel better?
Here’s the kicker: the fewer things we own, the happier we’ll be. Studies show that one of the biggest factors for personal happiness isn’t the size of our house or our bank accounts. Rather, it’s the length of our commute. So the moral of that story is to downsize and move closer to our job. Then, we’ll be happier. And isn’t that what it’s all about?
By decreasing our consumption, we’ll also help the planet, the very thing that will be stuck with our stuff long after we’re gone (remember: hearses don’t have trailer hitches, so you can’t take your crap with you). Want a better explanation of all that? Watch the Story of Stuff (then read my blog response to it).
In the end, we’ll be happier and so will the planet. So while Matt’s call to live a pantsless life can have many meanings, I’ll take the one that is good for the environment.
