Living a simple life is more complex than Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie made it look on their reality television show. And it is much more than taking on a vow of poverty. Even Buddha believes that happiness is dependent upon a certain amount of material comforts. Gandhi advocated for the alleviation of the tragedy of poverty on his people, just as Martin Luther King argued for equal access to the privilege of equality for African-Americans.
The devastation of greed is painfully apparent as we watch the unemployment rate triple in a year while the world economy is unstable due to a dynamic combination of over consumption mangled with the rich getting richer. Living beyond our means, as a culture, has finally caught up with us all around the globe.
This event, and the tragedies that have followed have inspired many questions. The most vital one, however, is: where does my basic material comfort end and my mindless consumption begin?
Let me begin my answer with a confession: my whole world can be packed into two suitcases and the miscellaneous boxes that live in my mother's basement. My scaling back of material things began three years ago when I reached the eye-opening conclusion that dreams were dying in the shadow of “should haves,” “wannabes” and all that goes with a reality based on movies, books and television shows. I sought a major break from material goods and all the stress that went along with them!
Nonetheless, I am constantly fighting that voice inside that continuously evaluates everything from my shoes to those potentially frizzy curls on top of my head.
In order to truly accomplish what I had set out to do, I had to aside my pride and perfectionism. I can only be what I’ve got the resources to be at this moment. And anyway, how come “they” don’t have better things to think about then how we look? If you ask me, “they” really need to get a life.
Blogger Carol Fogarty helps to remind us that living simpler gives us the precious gift of time. When we aren’t focused on keeping the big house clean and all our “stuff” in order, we can focus on being a people among people.
Second, she advises people to be kind and gentle with yourself. Letting go of old ways of thinking, so that much needed new experiences can happen, is no easy task. It takes time. One of the scariest moments of my life was when I went from a world of 60-hour work weeks to a part-time job. It was like having to get to know myself all over again. And we all know how awkward first dates can be!
Third, ask for help! How else do you learn something you don’t already know? Find the resources that work for you, but make sure at least two of those resources are human beings. Reading only goes so far. Get together once a month with friends to exchange ideas. Get involved in your community. No one can do this alone.
So, allow yourself the same patience you do for children. Believe in change and change will happen.
