Category Archives: Possessions

Without question, the material world and your everyday needs distract you from living meaningfully.”

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“Without question, the material world and your everyday needs distract you from living meaningfully.”

—Menachem Mendel Schneerson, 20th Century American Orthodox Rabbi

Image from Unsplash by Paul Schafer

In our pursuit of possessions and daily comforts, we often lose sight of deeper purpose and fulfillment.

The constant chase for material success can cloud our awareness of what truly matters — relationships, personal growth, and inner peace.

While meeting basic needs is essential, allowing them to dominate our focus risks turning life into a routine of consumption rather than a meaningful experience.

To live fully, it helps to consciously step back from distractions, reflect on our values, and prioritize experiences that nourish the soul.

True meaning emerges not from what we own, but from how we connect, create, and contribute.

EXERCISE:

What are you doing to connect, create, and contribute to live a more meaningful life?

Consider picking up a copy of Toward a Meaningful Life by Simon Jacobson which includes more wisdom from The Rebbe-Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

“The best things in life are not things.”

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“The best things in life are not things.”

—Attributed to Art Buchwald, 20th Century American Humorist

When was the last time you moved or downsized your apartment or home? What was it like to consider all of your possessions and what it took to move things to their new location?

What were the items that were easy to discard as junk? What items did you have no need for and were easily given away or donated? What items did you sell or at least try to sell to perhaps defray some moving costs?

What things held a special place in your heart that didn’t have a home to go to given the limited space in your new abode?

What storage strategies did you employ given some difficulty making the decision to release things back into the world?

EXERCISE:

What excess possessions can and will you release back into the world in the new year? Consider going room to room and making a list, shooting for one item (big or small) each week.