The way most people define a successful and happy life changes with age. In our youth, many tend to point to happiness as a means of addition: more money, more responsibility, more relationships, more possessions. It’s a lot like filling up an empty canvas --- more is better.
By midlife, however, that canvas is pretty full, and more brushstrokes begin to make the painting worse, not better.
Midlife is the point at which we become sculptors and chip away all that is not necessary. We begin to choose subtraction over addition. We learn that less is more. We’re both the sculptor and the sculpture. We let go of what is not really ours to carry or doesn’t serve us any longer. Aging is a gift that allows us to surrender the things that matter least so we can concentrate on the things that matter most.
When we realize that life is about experiences and not things, we free ourselves from the mountains of clutter, heaps, and piles of items that fill our homes and our lives so that we can pursue our dreams.
We all can benefit from a home decluttering or a downsize. A tidier home has been proven to boost our mental health, physical health, and improve longevity. A smaller home is not only more cost-effective but is also better suited for aging in place, and more conducive to helping us spend time outside our homes exploring our neighborhood and community, and embracing the opportunity for travel in our later years.
It is never too late to embrace a downsize and focus on experiences over things. Take it from Christiane Palpant, who was 50 when she made a life-changing decision to live a life of adventure.
A near-death experience, spurred on by a stressful career, led to open-heart surgery and two years of bedrest. Palpant knew she needed to make a change and recognized the scarcity of the time we have on earth to see the world.
Palpant took on the ultimate downsize; not to a smaller home but to a renovated sprinter van, as she set out to drive and visit all 50 states and live life on four wheels. Along the way, she discovered immense beauty in America’s diversity.
Photo by Jason Morrow for Growing Bolder
“From Maine to Florida to Washington to southern California to Hawaii and Alaska, I saw it all, from the highest of the peaks to the lowest of the valleys to the pure light brown sands of the desert to raging rivers. It is stunning, really stunning,” she told Growing Bolder.
Life on the road wasn’t always easy. Palpant said she considered giving up more than once. “Everything that could go wrong has,” she shared in one social media video posted along the way. “I have been brought to my knees on so many occasions. Not only with van trouble, personal health stuff, family stuff.”
But this traveler didn’t give up. She says each challenge taught her more about herself, her ability to be resilient, and the inner strength she always possessed. Palpant completed her journey, touring the entire country and painting breathtaking scenes as she went. Her advice to others is to find their own adventure later in life.
“Whatever that faith walk is for you, because it's different for every person, I would encourage you to do it. That's where life really takes on beauty,” Palpant urges. “Take the risk to Grow Bolder, because it’s worth it.”
Caring Transitions and Growing Bolder know that life spent living out of a sprinter van or an RV is not for everyone, but there is a valuable lesson in Palpant’s journey that can apply to everyone of every age. We don’t need all the things and physical items we think we do. There is freedom in aging that can help us leave behind the “stuff” and start collecting meaningful moments.
This might just mean making new friends in a new community you relocate to, joining a club or a team, or visiting family who live in different states. No matter how big or how small, every memorable moment has value.
There are more than 350 Caring Transitions locations across the country, full of compassionate and experienced senior relocation experts ready to make your dreams come true in your next chapter of life. Your Caring Transitions of Western Montana team will create an individualized plan for your downsize or relocation, handle all the physical labor, and manage the estate sale or online auction for the items you no longer need so that you can focus on your next adventure.