When Less is More: Choosing a Simpler Lifestyle

On Cardboard Boxes and Complacency

“Complacency is the enemy of success.” — Gracious Quotes

My husband collects cardboard boxes like some people collect souvenirs. In case you’re wondering, Len doesn’t have a fetish or an obsession. He’s been planting trees and he uses the cardboard in his nursery.

I must admit, I have my own reasons for saving some of the nicer boxes, the ones that might be useful for shipping larger orders (Len and I own an Etsy store—Etsy.com/shop/Unique2UKeepsakes—in case you’re curious).

So you can’t really blame us for keeping all those boxes. Unfortunately, we’d collected so many that they were taking up space—more like invading—our home, our garage, our shed, and our breezeway.

It wasn’t until we set out on this journey to declutter that we realized that, somewhere along the way, our saving had turned into unintentional hoarding. Not good. Those boxes were claiming permanent resident status in our home, our garage, our shed, and our breezeway.

As I began to break down the boxes so we could store them in the shed—one spot rather than multiple places—I asked myself how this came about. One word, one behavior, stood out among several: complacency.

Complacency is not the same as contentment. Contentment stems from an attitude of gratitude and appreciation for what we have, while complacency is a mindset that manifests itself through negative behaviors.

Complacency settles for the status quo—“I am satisfied with who I am and how I live my life” — and refuses to consider the potential of what could be, resulting in apathy and missed opportunities for improvement and personal growth.

Complacency can influence many aspects of our lives: home, work, health, personal finances, our relationships, as well as our spiritual walk. In her book, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa Terkeurst states, “Settling into complacency might seem to be comfortable for today, but in the long run we, like the Moabites, may suffer more if we go untouched by God for too long.”

The encouraging news is that change is possible. With consistent effort, we can develop new habits, transform our mindsets, and modify our behaviors. It won’t be easy. It will definitely take time and require a lot of patience. But the rewards are well worth the effort!

Please feel free to add your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.