December 22, 2025
The things you own end up owning you.
Fight Club
In 2017, on a trip to India to visit family, I interviewed one of my Uncles, who was turning 75. I asked him about the family’s vast land, the diverse farm, the sprawling family, and what else he might want to achieve, experience, or collect in this lifetime. He paused for a moment, and I’ll never forget his response.
“It all stays here. When I die, I can’t take anything with me. It all stays here. I’m not interested in more things.” I really appreciated that line. A reminder that we are here for this fleeting moment, and then — everything we’ve gained, lost, and kept, can’t be taken with us. A reminder of what matters. The lives you create. The lives you touch. The lives you love.
I’ve never been much of a materialist. Some days I think about what a simpler life would look like. Could I really live out of a backpack? I’d like to believe it. Other days, when I think about my Uncle’s reminder, I decide to put the item back on the shelf. Do I really need it? I’ll be just fine without. Maybe even better.