It is liberating to know what we need and what we don’t. It simplifies life and allows us to focus on what’s necessary to keep our lives on track.

Of utmost importance is the understanding that time and effort are valuable. When we begin to see how much these two are worth, then we get a sense of what to demand of the things that warrant our attention. We also learn to decide whether something is in fact worth paying attention to or not.

To be able to say “I don’t need this” is a show of strength. It is our inner strength evident in our decisiveness and our dedication to what matters to us.

In this way of thinking, I think that we come full circle. Because the truth is as we simplify life, we recognize that, in our life, the most important will be us. We are our own source of strength. We are the captain of our own ship as we are also the motor that keeps the ship running. How sturdy and steadfast we have built ourselves will show as we keep on course. But if we keep adding what we don’t need onto our boats, we either slow our progress or drag ourselves under. It all goes back to what we would rather and what we would rather do.