START BY DISCARDING ALL AT ONCE, INTENSELY AND COMPLETELY

That title is a quote from the life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo.
It's a best seller and quite good.

The issue of clutter and simplifying is, as they say, "on trend".  It's in every 
magazine. I have a daughter who says reading about de-cluttering makes her nervous especially because she bought yet another object (magazine or book)
to think about it instead of doing it. There's a double bind for you!

How did this happen? How did we get so over-stuffed? As I look back, I had an odd and good dynamic in my childhood. I had everything I wanted AND nothing that I didn't want. I had the bike I wanted. I had the prom dress I wanted. 
I had the lessons I wanted. There was no extra. There were no resources for extra. I could name right now my childhood books and most of my high school clothes—with relish and fond memories. I can't do the same with my closet right now or my book shelf.

Liked, clogged arteries, the stuff sneaks up on you. Why now and not then?
—We all began to think we were rich so we acted like it. Advertising supported it and credit cards accelerated it.
—Shopping became recreation and therapy and that idea is looked at as valid
—Modern life is anxiety producing and over-buying (like over-eating) is soothing
—The momentary stimulation of "new" feels good and relieves little and big pain
—We are numb to excess because of so much excess. We've forgotten what "just enough" feels like, how good "just enough" can be.
—Most purchases are impulse rather than considered due to time and availability. We've forgotten how to choose the exact right thing. We buy one or two or three and hope one of them works.
—The instability of both our personal and global world makes us have to have it now, because we don't trust the tomorrow that's coming. Or in other words, the worlds a mess, so I'll buy that purse, that car, that boat, those shoes and worry later. Delayed worrying is consumer denial.

I have set a new environmental psychological,aesthetic, ethical standard for my self. I want only what I want and nothing that I don't. Now to get that into my DNA and my daily practice! I'd love some comments from you about "stuff"—
how you manage it, think about it, love it, leave it, whatever.