Welcome to The Marketer Who Went Off Consumption! Subscribe to my RSS feed in a feed reader or by e-mail and you'll never miss any chapters from my year-long blog-as-a-book experiment on why we choose to consume, or not.
Three months into my year-long quest to find the formula to turn consumerism-caused ennui into happiness, it is time for a little tweak.
But, first, here’s the sum total of what I have learned in the last three months –
We derive our sense of identity (and our sense of happiness) basically in four ways — from the things we own, from the experiences we have, from the people we relate to, and from the things we create.
Sometimes, all the four elements of our identity are in sync (and we are happy). Often, the things we own enable us to have meaningful experiences with the people we relate to. Sometimes, the things we own even become the tools with which we create things and discover meaning.
There are times, though, when there are trade-offs, when the things we own stop us from experiencing life, relating to people, or creating meaning (and we are unhappy). Two such related trade-offs are the time/ money trade-off and the experiencing/ owning trade-off.
The first step, then, is to figure out what is the real source of of our identity (and our happiness). Some people drive their sense of identity primarily from the things they own, others primarily from their relationships, still others primarily from their experiences. In any case, for each one of us, all these four elements contribute to our sense of self (and our happiness) in a “hierarchy of identities”. Here, for instance, is my own hierarchy of identities — creating meaning > relating with people > experiencing life > owning things.
The second step is to structure your life around your hierarchy of identities. This involves identifying trade-offs between these four elements and removing them, one by one, to free up possibilities for the higher order elements. For someone with my hierarchy of identities, for instance, it would mean giving away most of the things I own, and freeing up resources (money, time, and energy) for experiencing life, having meaningful relationships and creating meaning.
This is exactly what I am about to do.
I have already announced that I’ll spend the next ten months in Washington DC as the next Yahoo! Fellow in International Values, Communications, Technology, and Global Internet at Georgetown University. After putting in regular 9-to-7 workdays for more than six years, the fellowship will allow me to dramatically free up my time (and mental bandwidth) to think about a subject I’m passionate about, and perhaps write a book on it, help others discover meaning through it.
So, the first trade-off — time vs. money — is taken care of, at least for the next ten months.
The second trade-off is the owning vs. experiencing trade-off.
Even I wasn’t aware how serious I was when I wrote about a life that fits into a backpack –
Sometimes, I want to give away the life I have built over the last eights years — my job, my house, the cane furniture that I had designed myself, my bar with its three hundred glasses, the hundreds of books and DVDs I have collected over years — and live the rest of my life (or at least the next ten years) out of a backpack.
I have already decided to give away the job (for ten months at least), and my lovely house goes with it. Now, I am giving away everything else I have, to one lucky person. Yes, you read it right, I’m giving away everything I have, to one lucky person.
People have auctioned off their lives before, item by item (John Freyer, Brian Thompson, Reed Dunn), or all at once (Ian Usher), but I’m just giving it away, for free.
Here’s how it works.
In the first week of August, I’ll walk out of my house with two bags or three. I’ll give away everything else I have to one lucky person, for free.
When I say everything, I do mean everything — all my furniture (including bed, futon, dining set, sofa set, center table, bar and book cases), all my soft furnishing (including cushions, rugs and curtains), all the electronic goods in the house (including TV, home theater system, fridge, washing machine, and microwave), all the utensils and appliances in my kitchen (including hundreds of bar glasses), all the clothes, books, and DVDs I’m not carrying with me, and miscellaneous other household items.
You don’t get to choose what to keep and what not. You take it all or you take nothing at all.
All you need to do to is to tell me (in three hundred words or less) how my giving away my life will change your life what you will do with my stuff. It will be great if you actually use everything, but it’s okay to sell it off or give it away.
I do hope you use it though, because, otherwise, it won’t really be worth it. If you were to buy it all first hand, it will cost you close to Rs. 300,000. If you auction everything off on e-Bay, item by item, it will probably be worth more than Rs. 100,000. If you sell it off to a dealer, all at once, I’m not sure if you’ll even get Rs. 50,000.
If you have a blog, you can write a post with your story and link back to this post, or e-mail me the URL. If you don’t have a blog, you can write a comment below. All entries need to be submitted by July 18th with valid e-mail addresses and mobile numbers.
On Sunday, July 20th, I’ll choose the person with the most compelling interesting story, and announce the winner.
On Sunday, July 27th, the winner needs to come over to my house with a team of packers, pack it all up and take it away in a truck a team of packers will pack it all up, put it in a truck and take it to your house. If you wish to, you can choose to pay the packers; otherwise, I’ll pay them myself (but only if you live in Mumbai).
Simple.
The one thing you must not do is to tell me that you want it and then change your mind. In that case, I’ll only have enough time before I leave to revert to my backup plan of either putting away everything in temporary storage, or sending it all to my parents’ house in Patna.
Why am I doing it? Well, there’s only one way to find out if a life that fits into a backpack is all that it is trumped up to be — and that is to really live a life that fits into a backpack (or three). I’ll find out soon enough.
Comments (39)
Well.. Honestly It will fill up my bedroom and Ill have no place to sleep! But on a serious note I connect with what you are doing.. I will be doing something similar one day.. And I dont know how the person who gets your stuff will feel. But Im sure you will feel liberated, fresh and renewed. Like restarting your life!
*whistles*
I take it that none of those bar glasses are in use right now. Its just after noon you know.
;D
This is going to make a very interesting read in your soon-to-be widely read book. Somehow I can’t stomach the idea of taking in another man’s life(as defined by his possessions) It just seems ..well.. wrong.
anyway, I wish you all the best in your quest(s).
This is what u call a perfect Viral..
Ur experiment is creating waves..It takes something to be u..But i doubt how many would willing to actually use the stuff u leave..
People wud love to join the race…but .then how many wud realy use it..?
Nevertheless amazing ..
If I were in the Mumbai area, I might write you and suggest that the gift of your belongings would change my life dramatically.
I might reference the antiquated American system in which young people were traditionally given household sets as wedding presents (for marriages which occurred immediately after finishing school and prior to beginning the “real job”).
As fewer young Americans get married until their thirties, and as we are saddled with student loan debt and ever-decreasing salaries, most of us now spend our early adulthood in living spaces filled with the cheap, transient pieces of a still-postponed childhood. Posters on the walls, plastic folding chairs, all of that. Because of these lifestyles, we are not taken seriously as adults, which causes us not to *view* ourselves as adults, which creates ripple effects throughout our personal and professional lives.
But I’d be lying if I said I wanted your stuff so I could have a grown-up living space (though it would make for an effective essay). Truth be told, if I were given your life, I would keep the pieces I want (that rattan furniture sounds nice), sell the rest, and put the cash into a nice ING Orange account.
So it’s probably good that I don’t live in Mumbai. ^__^
This is a Knock Out punch by Gaurav Mishra….Through his writings I found him quite an arrogant, pompous guy who is hell bent on showing off his materiastic achievements…..For me he was an epitome of all the gimmics that one tends to associate with IIT/IIM grads…. But he has proved me wrong by this blog… I apologise
I am even more amazed by the responses of the respondents to this post than the post itself.
It seems like meeting a completely different breed of men and women - one’s that are not that self centered as one would normally meet. But I guess that is so because of the fact that very few folks will have the time to follow up on such a blog.
Congrats on making a new set of friends.
“We derive our sense of identity (and our sense of happiness) basically in four ways — from the things we own, from the experiences we have, from the people we relate to, and from the things we create.”
Can I quote this in my blog with due credits to you? I haven’t heard a more compelling quote like this in recent times!!
Wow. That’s a brave step. I can relate to what you’re doing. I’ve given away more than half of my belongings recently and it felt SO good, like a weight off my shoulders. It’s like being on a materialistic diet. As the weight comes off, you feel better, fitter and yes, happier. Way to go Gaurav!
@Everybody: Thanks.
@Rajiv/ @Vimal/ Funny Old Life: Yes, I imagine that I would feel light and liberated, a little like shedding old skin, or shaving off your head at a temple in Tirupati.
@Rajiv/ Vimal/ Vivek: Actually, I didn’t really think much about how it would feel to inherit my stuff. I would have thought that most people will be delighted if someone offered to gift them a full household, even if it’s a lived-in household. I know that I would have been delighted beyond belief.
@Vimal: Not at all my friend, I’m fully in my senses.
@Vivek: Well, I wasn’t really thinking about the virality, but I admit it is an interesting idea.
@Blue: “But I’d be lying if I said I wanted your stuff so I could have a grown-up living space (though it would make for an effective essay). Truth be told, if I were given your life, I would keep the pieces I want (that rattan furniture sounds nice), sell the rest, and put the cash into a nice ING Orange account. So it’s probably good that I don’t live in Mumbai.”
I would do exactly the same, so it is indeed a good thing that you are not in Mumbai and I’m not eligible to participate.
@Gaurav: Well, what can I say, except that it’s a very well-worded back-handed compliment.
@Talwar: Didn’t get the connection: why would the “very few folks (who) have the time to follow up on such a blog” be less self-centered than others?
@Silverine: Ah! Finally somebody likes something I have written! Of course, you can quote it anywhere you wish to.
So wait… is receiving your belongings with the intent to sell and keep/invest the money not allowed?
Are you pulling a Midnight’s Children on us?
I’d be very curious to know how long a person can live out of a suitcase - and know they don’t own any more than that! Will you own a car? Where will you live? Does your abode account for a possession? I think such a lifestyle is easier for a single person to do- but not so easy once married –with children. Stuff not only weighs us down mentally and emotionally, as FunnyOldLife shared (and I agree) but weighs us down physically in the sense of permanency- we need a place to store our stuff, use our stuff and share our stuff with others. Without stuff- what’s the need for an abode? But then I guess we’d need one to feel safety in resting our heads for the night?
Gaurav, you lazy so-and-so, you just don’t want to deal with moving your $hit yourself, do you??
Hmmm, this is a super-duper, interesting idea but IMNSHO, it is way too much work! I covet some of your stuff, as I’m sure others do ;D but “the winner needs to come over to my house with a team of packers, pack it all up and take it away in a truck.”???
Uhhhh…thanks, but no thanks. This doesn’t sound like a win-win situation to me.
Good luck, tee hee 
@Blue: Didn’t really get the ‘Midnight’s Children’ reference. I demand a longish explanatory note.
And, yes, it’s ok to sell off or give away everything.
@Jennifer: Here’s a little background on my year-long experiment. Well, the idea is to own as little as possible, at least for a while. I don’t have a car anymore, and although I’ll live in a house somewhere, I suspect that it will be a little minimalistic. Yes, the things we own do weigh us down, in good and bad ways, but I’m in the mood to roam free for a while, before I settle down and grow roots again.
@Chhavi: You meanie! Well, now, just to satisfy you, I’m not only arranging for a packer, I’m also offering to pay them. Happy?
The Midnight’s Children thing: early in the novel, William Methwold sells his home to the Sinai family for a very low price on the condition that they not remove any of his furniture or belongings for 30 days.
His goal was to subconsciously change their way of life (and political philosophies) by making them conform to the boundaries set by his possessions.
His experiment was a success. ^__^
Perhaps the person who receives your gift, then, will live with it for a little while and suddenly feel compelled to give it all away and travel with only a backpack… and so will the person he gifts it to… and so on…
woah…kuddos to you!! doing a crazy thing..dunno if i will ever be able to do something radical like this..would love to lay my hands on your books…but the rest is clutter for me..so i guess have to pass!..good luck finding someone deserving enuf for all your junk..do keep us posted
Have been following your experiment for a while now. Most interesting
Kudos and good luck. As for giving away your things, might I suggest charity? Makes more sense to give it away to people who really need it, right? Of course, maybe most of the stuff won’t come under “need” for many people, but still…just a thought. Hmm?
@Blue: Wicked! Why didn’t I think of it! Jokes apart, the pay-it-forward idea is interesting.
@Rincy: I’m totally heartbroken that you called my stuff junk. It’s pretty good stuff kept in pretty good condition. I even sentimental about some of it.
@Shubh: I would love to give it all away to people who really need it, but I don’t really know of a better way to find them. Suggestions?
Hey, I wish you luck in your new venture. i hope it would be as amazing experience as you are looking for. Regarding the possessions that you want to give away, I have a suggestion, you can gift it to some orphanage or old age home in Mumbai. You can make difference in other people’s life by this act
hey..i meant they were junk to me..i would treasure your books..but the rest will probably gather dust bunnies if you left it with me..and i meant it in the nicest way..lol
This is one of the most impulsive writups ever…
So here’s why you should give me all your stuff…
Listing your stuff:
1.Bed-My parents finally have their own house after my dad has served the army for almost 30 years.They have to buy all the house things as they have never owned any furniture till date.The army houses they have lived in come with their own furniture
The bed will go to my parents and my dad will sleep in it hopefully peacefully even on the days he is hurting all over after his dialysis….
2.Futon-My mother has weak bones and she loves to put up her feet and watch inane news and dance programs on TV.This is for her..
3.Dining set, Sofa set, Center table-My mom is a great cook and loves to feed people and that includes neighbours,friends,children.This set of furniture will be lovingly cleaned and used to make new friends and feed old ones.
4.Bar and book cases-I would have given the bar to my dad but I am terrified of the consequences of drinking be it him or anyone else so I will most probably give it away.Having a sick father for 10 years due to over indulgence in smoking and drinking will make you wary of a bar
Book cases-I will keep them…love books…love reading…my own book shelf is coming off the hinges and this will help…
5. All my soft furnishing (including cushions, rugs and curtains)-Ah they will get divided amongst my mom and me…ah the feel of a soft cushion does mean a lot to a homemaker…I can imagine the gleam in her eye…the look of a excited child in a candy shop
6.All the electronic goods in the house (including TV, home theater system, fridge, washing machine, and microwave)-Will go to my brother who is studying away from home and can use this stuff.
7.All the utensils and appliances in my kitchen (including hundreds of bar glasses)-Will go to my long time maid…she has just been asked to leave her abode and is living with me at the moment…I am getting her a one room for a year and this stuff will help her settle…bar glasses are an exception though…they are going to my dad’s collection.He is a glass freak…knows all the cuts and makes.
8.All the clothes, books, and DVDs I’m not carrying with me, and miscellaneous other household items-I am taking all the books and the DVDs…for obvious love for a book and a good movie…rest is again going to my maid who needs them more than me or anyone I know.
All the best finding the person to give all the stuff to!!:)
@Wellwisher: Well, I am hoping that I’ll find someone who can really use everything. If you know of an orphanage or an old age home that would be happy to take all this stuff, do let me know.
@Rincy: I know… I was only pulling your leg.
@Namrata: Brilliant! This is exactly the sort of stuff I was hoping for!
too good to pass up.
here’s my bid and thoughts.
http://phishfish.blogspot.com/2008/07/life-of-others.html
the phone number shall be available on request.
i wish you luck. really.
Hey!
No am not about to pitch for your stuff! I read about your ‘experiment’ today and felt like writing in to share that am going through a similar phase of ‘de cluttering’ my life….That includes my wardrobe, kitchen, my mail box, my cell phone…and of course my relationships! Of course mine are baby steps compared to what you have embarked upon.
I moved to Mumbai two and a half years ago with a suitcase and one hand bag. I changed houses recently and was amazed when I had to rent a Tata 407 to move my stuff!! When did I pick up all these things and more importantly why?!! The only answer that I have is that I accumulated stuff and people to fill my life which had gotten pretty lonely….not that I regret it but now its time to move on….so I have now resolved to buy things and do things that are liberating rather than binding. So for example I will get myself a world space set because I do not want to buy hordes of music! I bought cane chairs for the new house as it’s easily disposable and will prevent me from growing roots ….its also true of people in my life…so am going to delete numbers of people I haven’t spoken to in the last one year. Yep, baby steps they are, but they take one to an altitude from where the view is much clearer or so I hope.
Anyways, just felt like writing in to say that I can understand your ‘experiment’ and I wish you luck!
God Bless!
Pooja
I am a 2nd year engg. student.Well, if I am lucky enough to get all your stuff it would just be amazing because I am shifting to a new flat in a month.All the furniture and elecronic appliances in my existing flat are atleast 10 years old.Also I don’t have many of the things which you do have and which I was thinking of buying ,like home theatre system,microwave etc.My TV set is 20 years old ,so the picture quality has worsened over years.Many other things need replacement and I think your stuff will really help me.The money that my father will save can be used by me for my various projects,college fees,good books and importantly for buying parts for my hobby of robotics and aeromodelling, both of which demand a lot of money.I love books so I’ll be able to expand my existing collection.Also i had bought a new DVD player a few months back but seeing the price of an original DVD I watched pirated versions of some really good hollywood flicks.Your DVD collection will be a boon for me.I don’t think I’ll have to sell off any of your things because I need them for my new home anyways.Also my father will save a lot of money.My mother has been looking for furniture and other household items for 3 months now, so it will also benefit her.
Your belongings will truly be helpful for me,my friends,family and my home.
gaurav you are crazy. I have tried out similar thing when i was transferred from mumbai to gujarat i stayed in my office flat with bare minimum things mattress/clothes tothpaste/brush soap
now i will try out similar thing since i am back in mumbai
okay , so maybe this is fate or just plain co-incidence , but the first time i pick up a newspaper and read something other than filmy gossip, i see an IIM graduate giving off his house.
Believe me , that’s cool. I appreciate all this giving-away business, because people like me could use the stuff, but i (no offense at all) seriously doubt that you can do this. i hope this doesn’t reduce or ruin my chances of getting your stuff, but it makes me wonder how a man living in luxury all(or most) of his life can go off consumption a whole year. i guess ill have to see it to believe it.
And I know I can Never top what Namratha wrote, the well organized points and all…. but I’m gonna give it a shot.
How I plan To use Your Things is simple
Lets Start With
My dad:He Gets The bar. I don’t Know why, but i fell i owe him something.
And My Mom: the glasses will go to my mom, so that she can add them to her locked up cabinet along with other glass items. rest assured , if my mom has your glasses they are in safe hands.
The Books Go to my mom as well. i doubt you have a book that she hasn’t read yet, but she treasure them just the same.
Mom Gets the Furniture . Meaning the dining set and coffee table and what not because shes the only one who knows what to do with them.
only few things in you personal stuff interest me. i would be overjoyed to receive the hundreds of DVD s. I’m a movie fanatic. movies and music keep me going in life. and along with a television and a home theater, all that’s missing is the popcorn .
The rest of the stuff will be divided between my sister, my grand parents and me. i don’t really feel the need for another microwave or fridge or washing machine so ill do my best to sell them .
As i think Ive covered everything now, ill stop. i don’t know how you will judge the lucky person or i doubt anyone holds a candle to Namratha but good luck with your quest.
~Hoping to be that Lucky guy who gets to tell his grand kids that his life changed in one day~
Dean D’souza.
sorry about the name mix up.
never properly used a blog before
Hi Gaurav,its great that you are giving all your thing to one lucky person.So I appreciate the way you have realised the life.It is very splendid to see natural beauty and other various things which you missed while studying and involvement in your job.Its great that you are giving 500 books and lots of DVD’s to that person.I am too very hungry for these books and DVD’s as of today’s environment books are very costly and it is not affordable.I am being a management student, books on mngt studies are very expensive.
Hi Gaurav, first of all i wish to make it clear that I DON’T WANT anything or everything that you are giving away.
Secondly, now i know why no one can ever beat an IIM graduate.
Thirdly, i am sure that in the near future you will ‘rock the world’ and i won’t be surprized a bit if your book (i am not sure if you are publishing one)turns out to be a ‘world best seller’.
Cheers and keep sharing your thought process & experiences with us.
Jeev
Dear Gaurav,
I am really impressed reading about your unique but ‘out of the box’ thinking in ‘The Hindustan Times’ on Sunday, the 13th July 2008 which happens to be the birthday of my son-in-law who is more a son than any thing else. My only daughter left this country over 15 years ago for higher studies in Singapore to Britain to USA. She is settled in the last named country for a decade now.
Times have really changed. Your ‘ten commandments’ prove our ancestral spiritual ideology is still intact. It is not easy to renounce your worldly possessions but you will still be doing that! How would you like your material effects properly utilized? These must of course be handled with utmost compassion and put to a proper use as if I use my own personal articles. There is no better way of explaining that other than if you bother to come and see as to how I have kept my flat and household effects. This is in spite of the fact that I am all by myself for over four months now since my daughter chose to extend her mom’s stay for another six months. So, when I should expect you? I would suggest that you be here without prior appointment.
Best regards and lots of love.
Dr S D Sharma
Dear Gaurav,
I am really sorry for that. I am not computer savvy and hence this mistake.
Best regards and lots of love.
Dr S D Sharma
I always come to your blog a few weeks apart and boy - do you surprise!
Good luck and I’m eager to see what happens next.
Theres a mail with a link to my blog, sweating it out in your inbox. Please to read.
Dear Gaurav:
I am impressed that you are following in our footsteps. 20 years ago we dispensed our
Refrigerator (because it is like having a garbage bin in the kitchen); we gave away our colour TV to our watchman (15 years ago); we do not have a
washing machine, I dispensed my luxury car 10 years ago. We do not have even a dining table inspite of large flat. Food tastes better sitting on the
ground eaten with clean hands rather than with forks and spoons. We do not take colas (aerated waters) and wines and we are vegetarians.
Microwave I will not even give to my enemy because of its deadly cancer causing rays!!!
However, I will take everything as per your condition for an orphanage. Read the story below.
Rebello family itself has decided to donate
Rs.30,000/- to the orphanage. By selling some of your stuff we can raise some more money.
It will be nice if you could come with the truck like a Santa Claus and gift these things yourself personally to the children. I am only
facilitating.
Now all ye visitors to Gaurav’s blog read the following story and
also see my website and enjoy vibrant natural health.
MOTHER OF 60 CHILDREN
by Dr. Leo Rebello
http://www.healthwisdom.org
On Sunday, 6th July, 2008, my wife (Kashmira) and I visited a children’s home in idyllic Madh island and spent a day. Here children of parents who are in jail are tended with love and affection. Something very unique. Some children do not even know the fact that their parents are in jail. Just as well, for it will be very traumatic for them. Some hide the ’shame’ well by avoiding to answer questions like where are the parents, etc.
The name of this woman with 60 children is Joanna Buthello. She is 62, widow, retired as a teacher and has converted her small village home into an Ashram for them. Our only concern is that if something were to happen to her (as she is obese and suffers from arthritic pain), this dream nest will be gone with the wind.
Every child is happy and looks after younger ’siblings’. They take turns in cutting vegetables, cleaning utensils, serving food, dressing up small ones, sweeping, swabbing, in making beds for which they use the wooden black boards on which they learn during the day and use for sleeping in the night. They dance, they frolic, they go to school or learn with her (she prepares them for the National Open School Exams), they study diligently, and roam freely without fear on the seashore nearby and run for nature call there in the morning for want of adequate toilet facility !!!
Joanna personally cooks the food, insists on serving every child. We saw her cooking with more competence than a chef in a five star hotel, we saw her serving and deliberately sat down to eat with the children to taste the food. It was nutritious and carried the old world charm.
Only thing lacking is adequate toilet facility and water shortage. Presently for 60 children and for 5 others, there is only one WC and one bathroom !!!
And that is one reason why the Social Welfare Board is not giving recognition to her home as a children’s home, though those very officers, police men, social workers recommend this home to people.
So, we have decided to help Joanna build 4 toilets and put a compound wall and provide 60 lockers and a washing machine, a computer and the salaries and travel of atleast two teachers to help her. Total funds required are about Rs.10 lakhs.
The readers must visit this home for the children of the lesser God. There are a few things different from the orphanage where Kashmira has been teaching for the last 3 years. That is only for Muslim girls, here it is open for all children. Here the food is nutritious and vegetarian and home cooked. In that muslim orphanage funds flow; here space is cramped and there is funds crunch.
There are a few kittens to keep rodents away and one “grand father” looking majestic dog, whom children love to play with.
If there is freedom, it is here. If there is music it is here. If there is selflessness, it is here. If there is innocence, it is here.
We have decided that we will take Joanna to see the muslim girls orphanage and we will take the muslim girls orphanage trustees to Madh island to note the difference.
Joanna J. Buthello Foundation is Registered vide no. Mumbai-E-13256/91,
enjoys 12AA and 80G IT exemption and accordingly
certificates will be issued to those who require them.
Anyone wishing to join us in helping Joanna Boothello children’s home are welcome to contact us on 28872741 to fine tune its further development.
i m givin away all my furniture (including bed, futon, dining set, sofa set, center table, bar and book cases), all my soft furnishing (including cushions, rugs and curtains), all the electronic goods in the house (including TV, home theater system, fridge, washing machine, and microwave), all the utensils and appliances in my kitchen (including hundreds of bar glasses), all the clothes, books, and DVDs I’m not carrying with me, and miscellaneous other household items. — man this sounds so bad……sumthin that u bought to fulfill a wish will all be gone…sounds hurting but since u are willing to do this I have an opportunity to make it all mine
To start with, if I tell my mom dat a friend is givin his furniture n soft furnishings to me, she will b curious as well as delighted….so U hav a chance to make her happy.
And the thing of intrest to me is your collection of books n dvds….I being an avid reader always welcome gud books n also luv watchin movies on weekends….also I play host to parties with friends frequently…..so my friends will b delighted to hav bar glasses for drinks n not coffee mugs ;)..
So dats my pitch for ur stuff..
N wishin u gud luck writin d book as well.
tc man
Hi Gaurav, I am in complete awe of you. I can’t believe that someone could dare do this in these times too. Your 4 elements of identity and your hierarchy for them is truly impressive. Its indeed a completely new point of view for looking at life. This reminds of the Steve Jobs’ famous Speech at Stanford University Convocation in 2005. He says he felt like being struck by a brick when he was very abruptly fired from the company he himself founded. But then when he thought about it with a cool mind, he realized that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to him. To quote him: “The heaviness of
being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.” I hope you get the same feeling after you get rid of the stuff that had bound and restricted you from discovering the unexplored meaning of life through your wanderlust. And hence wish you all the best in all your future endeavors.
I am Anand Muglikar. I am in the final year of Electronics Engineering. My father works as the Area Manager in Pharma Companies. The job is so insecure that he has changed over 8 jobs in last 10 years. Even if one MR doesn’t complete his target, my father is held responsible and many a time, unofficially pressurized to leave. Hence, the long gaps between jobs and very acute financial crisis, because I and my younger sister are in our final and important stages of education.
All the savings we had were exhausted in our house and the hefty fees that professional courses demand these days. The fees for both of us has been around Rs. 60,000 each and accommodation expense around Rs. 30,000 each per year. Its been very hard time managing our other expenses too.
Till now we managed the fees by selling off a plot of land, selling off some gold, putting our farmland for lease, etc. The nominal jobs of my father could just manage our routine expenses. We could not even get an educational loan because of the discontinuous and private job. This time we are really in the pickle, as to how to manage the fees. My sister last year convinced her management to waive off, half of her tuition fees. But my college management did not relent to such a request by me. This year we have paid part fees of each. Both have paid just Rs.10,000 each as fees of the total around Rs. 60,000 for each.
This is my final year of college. So I desperately need to manage the fees this time. From next year onwards I will be earning, so it won’t be a problem then. All I can say is I need your stuff to complete my education and I will be indebted to you for my life. I want to be an entrepreneur and really want to give other Indians better things to lead better lives. I really feel that each one of us must give back to the society that we come from like you plan to do. I will also give back, but probably in different manner.
You really stand as an embodiment of ‘ The Monk who sold his Ferrari’ in reality. I wish you this:
Hope u do it!
Hope u recognize and even create opportunities,
Hope u explore every joy of life,
Hope u make meaningful resolutions for the days ahead and more importantly stay firm on them,
Hope u turn your dreams into reality,
Hope u turn all your efforts into great achievements,
and Hope u make your life happy!
Hope u do it!!
~anand +919766658628
plz see: http://muglikar.multiply.com/journal/item/54/For_Gauravonomics
My relative’s Address in Mumbai:
V.Y. Choudhary,
Safina Sadan,
Versova,
Near 7 Bunglows,
Andheri (W),
Mumbai.
Landline:022 26342137
Mobile:(Pravin)
09324804324
My address in Pune where I stay:
Anand Muglikar,
c/o R.L.Ghodekar,
Flat#10,Building#68,
Opp. Dutt Mandir,
Mahesh Society,
Bibwewadi, Pune-411037
E-mail: muglikar@gmail.com
Mobile:+91 9766658628
I had not submitted my cell no. that’s why this post.I don’t want to cause you inconvenience in contacting me incase i win.
Apart from the many comments here, I received dozens of mails.
I’m re-producing some of the mails here, in order to share with my readers the emotions I felt when I received them.
In case you do not want your e-mail to be shown here, please drop me a line and I’ll remove it immediately, with my due apologies.
- X - X - X -
Arun Shankar wrote in to say –
I had read about you earlier in the HT and have kept your article which appeared sometime in april..
I too am too some extent a believer in the principle of minimal consumption … I thought i was stupid when I tell people about it.
Someday, i plan to teach young kids the importance of living within the means and to understand that for every extra bed one has , there are two people sleeping on the roads.
It was great to read about you and hope someday you come back to impart and teach kids so that we have a better world in the future .
In the context of giving away your things - do you have any books related to management ,life ,sports .I can take it aand read them and normally i share them with people around .I can be a caretaker for your books incase you plan to return ….
Wishing you the very best in your new assignment and also in life.
- X - X - X -
Arun Shankar wrote in again to say –
I write to you after reading your comments on your site .
firstly, i have crossed the deadline , so there is no point in me writing the essay.Anyway, i would not have been interested in anyhting but the microwave and the books…ha.. ha..
That is not why I am writing .
If in any case in future you decide to give away your thoughts, beliefs and attitude , please let me know . i will write whatever it takes to get those items that you own and shall always possess.
Although i have very similar thought process , but i never was able to put it in practice like you .
More than your tangible possessions , i would want your attitude and beliefs that you have owned thru strong practices and self- control. Without these i think it is very difficult to give away so many things in todays materialistic and possessive world .
i dont know why, but when I read one of your comments, it was like reading a part of my own mind that i threw away .
I hope you find a worthy owner for your hard earned things and he/she justifies what they mean to be given away…
once again wishing you the very best in your pursuit of meaning of your life ….
If at any time you feel you want somebody just to stand by you in your thoughts and support you when nobody does, get in touch with me .
- X - X - X -
Alok Kumar wrote in to say –
With reference to the article published in HT 13th July on Page 13, writing you this small para as required.
Just want to say, when we started our married life around two years ago in Thane, we had nothing in our house except a mattress.
Then we bought a double bed in just 1200 rupees from a second hand market. And, we are still using that. We have kept that in a very good condition because we know to value things whether we got them free or at very cheap price.
We have everything in our home now and can buy a new double bed also. But if you are really giving your things….we will feel ourselves lucky.
- X - X - X -
Nandita Abhyankar wrote in to say –
So you don’t have to worry about the disposing of your stuff and you garner some good karma. You’re a smart dealer. J
I recently bought a phone coz it has excellent sound quality and music features. The only other thing I’m attached to is my 10-year old scooty. It’s been through a lot on my account. My better experiences are mostly music, mountains, movies, and words. The people I love are few; a couple of them are family, a couple of friends, and a music guru who’s an astounding person. And my dog. I hope to live forever, sing like Kishori Amonkar, and fall in love. Those are my child’s dreams. The big ones that I won’t let go of. But now that I have been through a few major experiences (enough for a couple of stories and so that I may safely feel that things have “happened” to me), I realize that I want the smaller stories, the ones that subtly bestow revelations. Not only that, I feel ravenous for other people’s stories.
A good idea doesn’t present itself all at once. I don’t know what weird and wonderful value one could add to the objects you own. What if I just want to rifle through your life quite shamelessly? What if I take each thing you plan to give away and try to lend it a story? Over the next few months. What if I tell you that story? Would you want to make it a part of your book? A collaborative project of sorts. You can lose the things and gain the experience. I will feel compelled to creativity. (No, I don’t want to give them away directly and in a bunch. I’m not that pretentious yet.) A profitable deal for you as well as for me.
Do let me know.
I’m moving out tomorrow. The first time I’m moving out. And I’m hoping to be out of the country by December. The house I’m moving into is quite empty. It all seems quite ordained.
- X - X - X -
Gurudutt Bhobhe wrote in to say that –
I have just two points to make as to why you should give away your stuff to me.
I have just moved into an unfurnished house which is quite spacious and i’m living out of suitcases and cartons
Come 15th August, all my savings (time and money) will be invested in a venture of my own (involving solar energy), which means I will not be able to spare any to buy furniture.
Within limits of honesty this is as interesting as I can make it sound. So there is a need and a want.
Congratulations on securing the fellowship.
And if you can put me in touch with anyone involved with solar energy projects, that would be great too.
- X - X - X -
Surajit Basu wrote in to say that –
i noticed the article in HT , and i thought i would send you a quick note on what i would do with the books & DVDs, if you gave them to me.
there is a small circulating library downstairs in my complex, i would make that into a full library… if the collection is really large, i will run that as a home-based circulating library, a not-for-profit one with the aim to provide greater access to books and cinema…in navi mumbai, which probably has less access than south bombay.
in the long run, i hope to establish a set of library-links, creating small libraries in housing complexes, communities.. and then connecting libraries in the city to share with each other.. so that it all becomes one giant library.
maybe some day, one of them will have a copy of “The Marketer Who Went Off Consumption”
- X - X - X -
Sister Sheeba and Sheena Pathak wrote in to say that –
I draw reference to the article published in Hindustan Times.
A student of class xii (Navy Children School) and my sister a third year engineering student at NMIMS University came across your article and were surprised that a person with such caliber and stand of achievement would want to give away his house for free. Perhaps life’s coming back full circle and goodness still does prevail. It gives me a high, no more greed for materialistic pleasure and a thought for a complete stranger. Hats off to you!
My sister and I never knew that opportunity would knock at our door, just waiting for us to grab it.
We thank you for being so kind and selfless and wish you success and luck for the near future and endeavors
Lastly my sister too would emulate your ideas in the near future for the greater cause called humanity.
They say that if you really wish for something then the whole world conspires to work towards making your dream come true, the only thing that matters is how strong your desire is.
Living in the city of dreams Mumbai, where everyone has a goal to push their limits and rise high I too have a dream with a deep desire burning inside me and this desire couldn’t have been burning brighter before I read the news about you giving away your fully furnished house to one lucky person (wish it is me!)
In a materialistic world of today I salute your noble thoughts of shedding away all your temptations in an off-consumption world. I congratulate you on this achievement and would like to follow the same in the near future.
Just like the train shunts from one station to another, our life too has seen many transfers and houses, (since my father has a transferrable job) and the thought of having a permanent house never struck my mind, and now the opportunity to live in the posh locality of South Mumbai is quite tantalizing and we’d definitely be obliged by your magnanimity.
Seeing your collection of books and DVD’s that you possess my sister and I plan to have a library at a nominal fee, part of which will aid the less fortunate children in their education and well-being.
It’s really disheartening to see children abandoning their parents and leaving them in old homes. Our parents are the ones who have always sacrificed, and faced a number of hardships and obstacles to secure our future. Today we are what we are because of our parents. Thus in our own little way my sister and I would like to give back to them what they have and are continuing to do for us, by gifting a roof over their head, a smile across their face and the sea wind lifting their spirits with a safe locality, where they can sleep in peace and live in companionship of each other.
This will be an ode to my parents for if it weren’t for them, writing this passage too would have been impossible.
- X - X - X -
Hetal Golwala wrote in to say that –
readabout you in ht times.I too believe in buying things only when really needed.like i bought a cell only 3 yrs back,sth taht i could have done much much earlier,and that too a very basic model.all this not to save any money but to avoid clutter and to feel free and light.as far as the maid thing is concerned,well i feel that for me is a neccessity as i m a mother of two kids.i teach aerobics,reading is my hobby which nowadays due to lack of time,has become a luxury.i wish u lots of success in ur experiment or whatever u call it.i also hope others understand the importance of avoiding extra consumption and follow u and thereby do good not only for there pockets but also for mother nature…..bye and once again good luck
- X - X - X -
Shubhra Dutta wrote in to say that –
Well, I might be wrong if I say that after reading about you in the The Hindustan Times yesterday it quite didnt catch my fancy.Ofcourese, it did and perhaps this mail is because of that. But, yes I was pondering why people come up with such brilliant yet bizzare ideas.
I would have come and shot you. Oh no don’t get worried I a a Cinematographer and the only way I shoot is with the Camera and with much love.
Have to go for my Faeture film Shoot in a couple of days so, even if I want to Shoot as I said I am unfortunate not been able to do so. Well, I would say you are lucky no I am wrong you been unfortunate for not been shot. Famous people at times get even more famous because of somebody else and perhaps in this case it would have been me.
Anyway, all the very best for your NO CONSUMPTION JOURNEY. I hope you have all the good wishes from everyone and blessings from above.
- X - X - X -
Falguni Mashru wrote in to say that –
My name is Falguni M. Mashru, 28 years old, doing job at World Jain Confederation. We are only three sister and parents are old and retired.
I read about you in Sunday’s Hindustan times paper dated 13th July 2008. I am in a dire need of a house as I am staying in a area where life is at a risk. My parents are old and retire. We are only three sisters supporting the finance which is not very great. Of course there may be some more needy but if I get this house, we all will get married very soon and life will have become peaceful & enjoyable. If I get this house I will also donate my house to the needy.
- X - X - X -
Kavita Gupta wrote in to say that –
My name is Kavita Gupta, I was working till a few weeks ago, when i decided to quit and start indulging myself in a more intellectual and informational activity like reading, may it be a magazine, a newspaper or a book. I should admit, I had a bad habit of not reading newspapers till a month ago, but then this realization which struck me a few weeks back, brought me on my toes and i started reading newspapers and books. Today when i read your article in HT, I found what i needed to do next. I had never visited a blog site before and didn’t know how to start. I am interested in borrowing your books, which I would keep with myself for a year, read them and when you return would be more than happy to return them to you in the perfect condition as they are in now. I would be more than glad if you give it someone who would make a better use of them.
Please reply positively.
- X - X - X -
Ankesh Kothari wrote in to say that –
Thanks for living the minimalistic lifestyle.
Would you mind answering a question?
I’m a big fan of minimalistic lifestyle. Reducing clutter to get rid of the stress and enjoying life a lot more makes sense to me. But would love to know your thinking process behind taking it to the extreme and giving away everything you own…
(I don’t have any agenda - am just curious to know about your thoughts…)
Trackbacks/Pingbacks (13)
[…] (Update: In fact, I’m giving away everything I own to one lucky reader.) […]
[…] he’s putting his money where his mouth is In the first week of August, I’ll walk out of my house with two bags or three. I’ll give away […]
[…] is looking for happiness and seeks to find it by giving everything away. I guess this is one way to simplify. This entry was written by Prashant and posted on July 5, […]
[…] when I realized that the response to my offer to give away everything I own to one lucky reader of my blog wasn’t a unanimous “wow!”, I listened to constructive criticism from friends […]
[…] He clearly lays out some compelling reasons for why this make sense. Read the details, and comments of readers over at his blog. […]
[…] The article itself, especially the headline, was a little misleading, and my mailbox is flooded with e-mails on how I’m giving away my fully-furnished house. As you know, the house is not mine to give; I’m only giving away (most of) the stuff inside the house. […]
[…] experiment on why we choose to consume, or not.I had announced a little over two weeks back that I’m giving away everything I own to one lucky reader of my blog – In the first week of August, I’ll walk out of my house […]
[…] Giving up all that he owns to one of his blog readers, just to see what he gets. I hope @Gauravonomi… (tags: tweetmarks) […]
[…] my year-long blog-as-a-book experiment on why we choose to consume, or not.When Dr. Leo Rebello suggested that I donate my belongings to Joanna Buthello’s orphanage in Madh Island, I thought about […]
[…] year-long blog-as-a-book experiment on why we choose to consume, or not.Ever since I announced that I’m giving away everything I own to one lucky reader of my blog, I have had friends and strangers asking me – Why are you giving away everything you own, […]
[…] On March 23, tired of buying and owning too many things that I didn’t need, I decided to stop buying things I didn’t need, go off consumption for a year. Then, on July 4, realizing that not buying things was not enough, I decided to give away almost everything I own. […]
[…] I’m moving to Washington DC for a year and I’m giving away almost everything I own to three five […]
[…] today – July 20th when he selects ONE lucky winner. To read more about this interesting story click here. But please before clicking, think about what he is saying. How many of us have really thought […]