I’ve lived in many places in my life. From Maryland to Maine to Washington to Kansas, I’ve lived in houses, apartments, trailers, and even a tent. I’ve been a homebody and I’ve suffered wanderlust. Through my travels and experiences, I’ve discovered a secret about what it really means to be home.
One reason that many people accumulate too much stuff is simple. We tend to think of home as a permanent place. We connect home to physical objects.
Our house becomes a place to collect all the stuff we think we need to make it into a home. That’s the illusion. Home is much more than a house full of stuff. It’s also much less.
How Do We Find Our Way Home In A Chaotic World?
Today’s modern culture has led us into some of the most chaotic and stressful times in history. We’re busy trying to keep up with our lives. We work overtime to create this thing we call home. Our homes add to the chaos. We’re compelled to get a house that meets contemporary standards, 2000 sq. ft. or more.
Then we fill the place up with stuff. We decorate our yards with grass and trees. Stuff breaks. Trees die. We buy replacements. We work hard to afford our home. Then we work harder to keep our home looking good. And while we work, we miss out on living. It’s an endless cycle of toil and upkeep.
Our modern concept of home is actually part of the chaos.
Is there a way out? Are we stuck with a concept of home that adds to our complicated lives. Contemporary culture would tell us that we are stuck. But there’s another path.
The Answer Lies in How We Define Home
Recently, I wrote an ebook called, Finding Our Way Back Home: Reclaiming A Sense Of Peace In A Chaotic World. The premise of the book is simple:
1. Every individual has a unique perspective and description of what “home” means.
2. Although home often represents a place, the concept of home is much deeper than where one resides.
3. For many people, home includes their relationships with family and friends.
4. For some, home is as much a state-of-mind as it is either a specific place or a specific set of relationships.
With these four basic truths in mind, I’d like to introduce you to my own overarching concept of home.
Although both place and relationships make up an important part of how we define home, at it’s core, the term “home” has so much more to do with a sense of peace, and living in the present moment.
Consider a few of the following sayings:
- Home is where the heart is.
- Where thou art, that is home.
- Home interprets heaven.
- Any old place I can hang my hat is home sweet home to me.
Home is not place-bound, but is rather a sense of peace and comfort no matter where one dwells. I like to call this the inner-home.
Your Inner-Home Is Your True Home
I’ve grown comfortable with feeling at home no matter where I am. This is the key to living simply and being happy.
When we detach ourselves from the idea of home as a permanent place full of stuff, we begin to experience more freedom. When we replace the more traditional definition of home with this new definition of home as the peace of the present moment, we’re able to detach ourselves from all that stuff we used to think we needed.
As long as we’re connected to our inner-home and have a few basic necessities of life, we can live anywhere. We’ll be free to live life to the fullest. We’ll be free to spend more time doing the things we’ve always dreamed of. So take a deep breath and become one with the present moment. Welcome home.