I Lost 99% of My Possessions. This Is What I Learned.
The thought of losing all your possessions might strike terror in your heart.
I hope it never happens to you.
It probably never will.
But you can learn a lot when your all your stuff suddenly vaporizes overnight.
In 2018, I lost my home, five acres of land, and 99% of my possessions during the lava eruption on the Big Island of Hawaii.
In 2006, I gave away 99% of my possessions when I moved to France for three years.
You see, I have a little bit of experience with this letting go thing. I’ve also gained some perspective on the relative importance of materials things.
Want to know what I’ve learned?
1. Stuff is not the problem. Attachment is.
You could live in a mansion and never experience pain when forced to let go if you’re not attached to your possessions.
On the other hand, you could be a monk who owns a single cup, and feel cut to the core if suddenly it’s stolen or smashed to bits.
I felt most attached to my books when I gave hundreds and hundreds away in 2006. It felt physically painful to let them go.
I fretted for days, worried that they might be mishandled, misused, or the content misunderstood given that some volumes contained esoteric content.
The experience showed me what I valued most—an important lesson in itself. I also learned what I tended to over-collect—books were just one category among other sets of similar things.
But what I saw most clear is the way attachment caused my pain.
And honestly, I didn’t need to spend a single moment fretting as I did for days and maybe even weeks.
Once I got to France, I never thought of those books again.
2. People are more important than things
I evacuated before lava undulated across my land, and the fire it kindled burned away my home and the majority of my possessions during a traumatic three-month eruption in 2018.
I left with two suitcases of clothes, a small box or two of personal possessions, and my important documents. Once I added the two large cat carriers, the cats, and a few miscellaneous household supplies, my small car was stuffed.
It wasn’t easy to find a rental since so many people had been displaced when lava swallow their homes or made them unreachable. I lucked out. I found a temporary place two hours away, up a narrow, winding four-mile road.
I lost my beautiful bamboo and teak furniture to the flames. But I rarely pined for it.
Instead, I felt isolated, alone, and too far from my friends.
A four-hour round trip was too far to travel for my three times a week tai chi class and the friendly chats that occurred during breaks. But I put the travel time every other week for my women’s group.
When I did, I can hardly describe the way my heart fluttered happily when I turned onto the road that took me back into my larger community.
Yes, that constitutes attachment too. But it’s good to know what matters most. And at least for me, I learned it was no longer material possessions.
Except for one thing.
3. Impermanence Is the Real Truth
I didn’t miss my home or possessions as much as I missed my location when the lava scorched everything in sight.
My five-acres of beauty contained an orchard of five-year old fruit trees, some fifteen feet high and others growing more slowly. It looked out upon what was called “Green Mountain.” Even though it was just a very high hill with a pompous name, it made for a spectacular view from my porch.
I rarely heard my neighbors, expect for the guy who occasionally played his trumpet as the sun slowly set.
I now live on an acre in a more tightly packed neighborhood with a view of my neighbor’s white roof.
I will probably never live in such a unique and special place again.
But that’s okay. I had the experience.
And through losing it, I learned to hold each possession and even each moment far more lightly.
Anything can be stolen from you between one breath and the next. In fact, not a single thing ever truly belongs to you. It was just a mix of molecules in your temporary possession while you journey through this life.
Don’t take it all too seriously.
Concluding Thoughts
Material possessions serve a purpose. I’ve certainly re-accumulated my fair share since losing 99% of my stuff.
But I don’t let possessions rule my life.
Because:
Stuff can eat up a large part of your income and even put you into credit card debt.
Stuff can take up your valuable time because it requires care, maintenance, and presumed replacement.
Stuff can cause you needless stress when it breaks, you can’t find things, or you have to talk to customer service for endless hours on the phone.
And in the end, you might lose it all anyway, just like I did.
Focus instead, I suggest, on what really counts: people, purpose, and the profound.
Thank you for your presence, I know your time is precious! Don’t forget to sign up for Wild Arisings, my twice monthly letters from the heart filled with insights, inspiration, and ideas to help you connect with and live from your truest self.
You might also like to check out my Self-Care Shop. May you be happy, well, and safe – always. With love, Sandra
