I talk a lot here about claiming your abundance. For me, that means resting securely in the notion that I really do have all that I need. Yea-- I would like a swanky new redesign of my kitchen. Yes, I would like hardwood floors. Yes, I would like to wear cute outfits everyday. But the fact that I don't have those things in no way diminishes my contentment.
An August 7th article by Stephanie Rosenbloom documents how one couple in Oregon have whittled down their posessions to 100 each and now have found a new kind of abundance.
"Emboldened by a Web site that challenges consumers to live with just
100 personal items, Ms. Strobel winnowed down her wardrobe and
toiletries to precisely that number.
Her mother called her crazy.
Today, three years after Ms. Strobel and Mr. Smith began downsizing,
they live in Portland, Ore., in a spare, 400-square-foot studio with a
nice-sized kitchen. Mr. Smith is completing a doctorate in physiology;
Ms. Strobel happily works from home as a Web designer and freelance
writer. She owns four plates, three pairs of shoes and two pots. With
Mr. Smith in his final weeks of school, Ms. Strobel’s income of about
$24,000 a year covers their bills. They are still car-free but have
bikes. One other thing they no longer have: $30,000 of debt.
Ms. Strobel’s mother is impressed. Now the couple have money to travel
and to contribute to the education funds of nieces and nephews. And
because their debt is paid off, Ms. Strobel works fewer hours, giving
her time to be outdoors, and to volunteer, which she does about four
hours a week for a nonprofit outreach program called Living Yoga."
The article goes on to discuss research on the effect of spending behavior on levels of happiness. This is definitely worth a read. Basically, there is a fair amount of research that money that allows you to meet basic needs significantly impacts levels of happiness. Money that is spent for extras--- loses its bang for the buck.
"One major finding is that spending money for an experience — concert
tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco —
produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old
stuff. ...Another reason that scholars contend that experiences provide a bigger
pop than things is that they can’t be absorbed in one gulp — it takes
more time to adapt to them and engage with them than it does to put on a
new leather jacket or turn on that shiny flat-screen TV. "
I spent a number of years buying whatever I wanted and spending money in whatever way I saw fit. Our family's decision that I should work from home to take care of our Doodlebug until she got into school has been a challenge for me. I personally derived a fair amount of self-worth and self-efficiency out of earning a substantial salary and paying for things with my own money. Who I was as a person did not depend solely on my salary and stuff, however, I would routinely choose to forgo investing in people in favor of making sure my income was secure. The light went off for me a few years ago when I looked back, to a luxury shopping spree I worked and saved for. Strangely, I don't remember much about the clothes I bought on my Sak's shopping spree. I do remember the nice clerk,however.
The thing about this that resonates with me is that the experiences that the researchers talk about usually
involve other people. So at some level, you have to listen to and
relate to others. For me, I now understand that this creates a richness and just adds to my sense of feeling blessed and having more than I truly need.
So, if we are going to have a silver lining from this recession... then I hope it is that we all will re-learn what our grandparents knew. Time on the front porch, laughing, and having a beer with family and friends is better than diamond earrings. Furthermore, finding simple ways to help those who don't have the basics will help you feel like and rest in the idea that you live abundantly.
