Today's
Meditation:
Much
of the movement towards simplifying our lives is based on
the principal that Joan talks about here. Having too
much definitely can make us jaded and make us lose our
appreciation for the things we do have. I know that in
my life, one of the nicest years I've ever spent was the one
in Salamanca, Spain, earning about $200 a month. The
room I was renting cost $50, and I was able to live on the
rest and even save some. But because I had almost
nothing, my wants were incredibly simple, also-- I wanted
almost nothing.
I
don't say that we should live poor or live poorly, but I do
know that as I've started earning more money in life, I've
started wanting more things. And the more things I
have, the more complicated my life is. That's not
necessarily a bad thing, but I do want to find a balance
before I ever reach the "too much" stage.
Every once in a while I have to go through my books and
music and clothes and be completely honest-- if I haven't
touched something for a long time, I give it to someone who
might.
When
I travel, I like to take the bare minimum with me to remind
myself of how simple life can be when I have only a few
changes of clothing and nothing else really to burden
me. My hunch-- and hope-- is that if I ever reach seventy years
old, I'll have almost nothing by then.
Life
does have marrow-- it does have a deeper essence that's
invisible to us when we're caught up in the material things
and possessions that keep us distracted. There's a lot
to be said for trying to find that essence and allowing
ourselves to embrace simplicity as a way of life.
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