Beauty and Usefulness

"All possessions that are not at the same time beautiful and useful are an affront to human dignity."

-- Ananda Coomarswamy

Look at all the stuff you've got! It's everywhere, as far as the eye can see. Some of it you bought, some of it you were given; God knows where the hell the rest of it came from! Perhaps, just perhaps, you don't need it all. Some of it may be useless to you at this stage of your life. Some of it may be broken, passe, irrelevant, or downright ugly.

Now's the perfect time for a thorough spring cleaning. Use the Ananda Coomarswamy Test -- if it isn't both beautiful and useful chuck it! And by "chuck it," I mean sell it, give it away, recycle it -- don't just fill up the landfill with it.

Anything and everything you own should make your heart sing! It should be a joy, a thrill, a splinter of the Divine. And, at the very same time, it should have some use in your life. Like a Swiss Army knife, or a colorful painting, or a piece of clothing that both flatters and keeps you from being arrested for indecent exposure.

I know, I know, you've got some stuff that isn't exactly beautiful, but you really need it. Your beer fridge, your fully paid for and still functional car, maybe even your spouse or partner! Remember the old saw: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You don't need the latest sleek, black, nuclear fridge, a Lambroghini, or Brad and Angelina to see beauty. Beauty is more a function of the heart than the eye.

As for all the other junk in your life -- there's probably alot you can just get rid of without giving it a second thought. The stuff that you really need, but isn't exactly beautiful, keep until you can upgrade it to a replacement that has more aesthetic appeal. I've got some butt ugly bookshelves, and I replace them with nicer, solid wood versions whenever I find the better ones used at an affordable price.

Simplifying and beautifying your life is a two-part, ongoing process. It's not a race, it's not the 11th Commandment. It's just a gentle way to bring more space and quality into your life. It's a game worth playing.