Today I Choose to be Copious – How to be Copious

The Surprising Truth About How to Be Copious

People often use the word copious as a criticism—too many notes, too many clothes, too many books stacked in teetering piles. And for years, I felt a little sheepish about my shelves bursting with self-help titles, my nightstand sagging under the weight of “just one more book.”

But here’s the truth: my copious collection has been one of the richest sources of growth in my life. I don’t read self-help books like novels, cover to cover, once and done. I read them like a buffet. I pick and choose, highlighting one insight here, underlining a breakthrough there, skipping what doesn’t resonate. Then years later, I’ll pull the same book back down and discover an entirely new lesson hiding in the same pages.

I still remember someone teasing me once—”Do you really need all of these books? Don’t they just repeat themselves?” I laughed, but inside I thought: these stacks aren’t clutter. They’re my mentors, my quiet coaches, my companions through every season of change. Each highlighted margin, each dog-eared page is proof of a conversation I had with myself at the time.

That’s the surprising thing about being copious—it isn’t about excess for excess’s sake. It’s about abundance as resource. Sometimes, being copious isn’t a flaw. It’s the gift of having more than enough wisdom to return to when you need it most.

Why We’re Taught to Fear “Too Much”

From childhood, we’re conditioned to believe that “too much” is always wrong. Too much talking, too much feeling, too much wanting. We’re taught that moderation is virtue and excess is vice. But what if that’s not always true?

What if some things are meant to be copious? What if abundance in certain areas of life isn’t wasteful but wise?

Research from psychologist Dr. Sherry Turkle shows that we learn and remember better when we have multiple touchpoints with information. My copious book collection isn’t redundant—it’s reinforcement. Each book offers a slightly different angle, a new way of understanding concepts that matter to me.

The shame around being “too much” often comes from scarcity thinking. We’re told resources are limited, so having more than we immediately need feels selfish. But knowledge, inspiration, and wisdom don’t work like finite resources. They multiply when shared and compound when collected.

The Hidden Wisdom of Strategic Excess

Being copious isn’t about mindless accumulation. It’s about strategic abundance in areas that fuel your growth, creativity, and joy. My overflowing bookshelves serve a purpose: they ensure I always have access to wisdom when I need it, from whichever source resonates in that particular moment.

Neuroscientist Dr. Merzenich’s research on neuroplasticity reveals something fascinating: our brains thrive on varied input. When we expose ourselves to copious amounts of information, ideas, and perspectives, we create more neural pathways and increase cognitive flexibility.

Those highlighted margins and dog-eared pages? They’re not just marks in books—they’re breadcrumbs leading back to moments of insight. Years later, when I’m facing a new challenge, I can return to those conversations with myself and find exactly what I need.

What Deserves to Be Copious in Your Life

Learning Resources: Whether it’s books, podcasts, courses, or conversations—having abundant access to wisdom isn’t wasteful. It’s preparation for whatever growth is coming next.

Creative Supplies: That drawer full of art supplies, the collection of journals, the craft materials you “might use someday”—these aren’t evidence of poor planning. They’re invitations to creativity when inspiration strikes.

Experiences: Being copious with experiences—trying new restaurants, taking different routes, saying yes to invitations—builds a rich database of memories and perspectives to draw from.

Kindness: There’s no such thing as too much kindness, too many compliments, too much gratitude. These forms of copiousness create positive ripple effects that compound over time.

The Art of Mindful Abundance

Being copious doesn’t mean being careless. It means being intentional about where abundance serves you. My book collection is copious by design—it’s my personal university, my library of possibilities. But my kitchen gadget collection? That’s just clutter.

The key is recognizing which areas of your life benefit from abundance and which need simplicity. Where does “more” create options and opportunities? Where does it create stress and overwhelm?

Sometimes having copious amounts of something—whether it’s art supplies, books, or even comfortable clothes—gives you permission to use them freely. When resources feel scarce, we hoard them. When they feel abundant, we engage with them generously.

Defending Your Right to “Too Much”

You’ll encounter people who don’t understand your copious collections, your abundant interests, your “excessive” enthusiasm. They might tease you about your book stacks or question why you need so many art supplies or wonder why you attend so many workshops.

But here’s what I’ve learned: people who criticize copiousness often operate from scarcity. They can’t imagine abundance in areas they don’t value. Your copious book collection might seem excessive to someone who doesn’t prioritize learning. Your overflowing craft supplies might puzzle someone who doesn’t understand the joy of creating.

You don’t need to justify your strategic abundance to anyone. Those books on my nightstand? They’re not decoration or display. They’re tools, resources, companions. Each one serves a purpose, even if that purpose isn’t always immediate or obvious to others.

The Compound Interest of Copious Learning

Every book I’ve collected, every insight I’ve highlighted, every concept I’ve dog-eared has contributed to who I am today. That abundance of input has created an abundance of output—ideas for articles, perspectives to share, wisdom to offer others.

This is how copiousness works: it’s not just about having more, it’s about creating more. More connections between ideas. More solutions to draw from. More resources to share with others who might need them.

When someone asks if I really need all those books, the answer is yes—not because I’ll read each one cover to cover again, but because I never know which one will contain exactly the insight I need at exactly the moment I need it.

Your Permission to Be Copious

Maybe it’s not books for you. Maybe it’s music, or plants, or beautiful stationary, or inspiring quotes, or comfortable clothes that make you feel like yourself. Maybe it’s friendships, or experiences, or acts of service, or expressions of gratitude.

Whatever feeds your soul, whatever fuels your growth, whatever creates options and opportunities in your life—you have permission to be copious with those things. You have permission to have more than you immediately need, to collect abundance in areas that matter to you.

Today, choose to be copious where it serves you. Not excess for the sake of excess, but strategic abundance that creates possibilities. Not mindless accumulation, but intentional collection of resources that fuel your best life.

Those stacks aren’t clutter—they’re your personal library of potential. And there’s nothing wrong with having more wisdom, more beauty, more tools for growth than you need right now. Because you never know what tomorrow might require, and abundance today creates options for whatever comes next.