i uncover this theme quite often, and it comes with a jolt of discovery every time.
it took me a while to realize that "enough" is such a powerful word! i can actually visualize "enough" punching the thought of a new pair of jeans in the face! POW! it round kicks a conversation our friends are having about getting their 14 year-old sons newer versions of our "nice" car as soon as they turn 15. WHAM! "enough" sucker punches talk of their new custom built 3000 square foot house. BAM! (those are all the fighting words i know, so i'll have to quit…but you get the idea.) :)
striving for simpler and less has made me so much happier with the things i do have…and less attached too. recognizing that what i have is enough- more than enough…that it is a gift from God to have what i have…it has given me the power to overcome the pull of consumerism (not every time, but most of the time now). i may still think things are beautiful or cool, but i know that i do not need to own them. more things will not make my life better or make me more bohemian or edgy or whatever i'm into at the moment. i am not what i put on. i am not what i own. i am not the vacation i go on. even with more, i will still just be me.
most of us are the victims of comparison. i grew up comparing myself to the girls with cuter and larger wardrobes. as an adult, i compared myself with my friends who were getting new cars and buying newer homes. i'm not sure this is good logic, but maybe we could to find a new comparison that works for us…not so much a comparison as new people to look up to. i read blogs that emphasize this way of life on saturday mornings. i started doing this so that i could remind myself of my values before i was tempted off to the shopping scene. it realigns my weekend ahead. it makes me feel part of a community…not alone. finding a real life friend who embraces these values fully has proven more difficult.
my ability to recognize enough was first inspired by others choosing to live with less than i had. choosing to pare down my stash of everything made that pared down state the desirable goal. now i don't want to wreck that state of less…with more. ta-da! :) sounds so simplistic…it takes a lot of work…and time for the mind to adjust…but, i think it pretty much is that simple.
this journal is meant to encourage you, my friends, in your journey...and me in mine…and i'd love it if you spoke back! i like to write about simplicity here…simple wardrobes, simple recipes, simple pleasures. at the core of these…or maybe as a result of these…or maybe in the midst of seeking them…comes this idea of the power of enough. may we all find it and keep it at the ready.
image above is from pure green magazine. a couple creating slowly and deliberately and inspiring me to see beauty in the simple life. and actually you could see more of it through my etsy shop (sheepish smile)…not that you need it! :) it's just time for me to pass it on.
love,
jane
it took me a while to realize that "enough" is such a powerful word! i can actually visualize "enough" punching the thought of a new pair of jeans in the face! POW! it round kicks a conversation our friends are having about getting their 14 year-old sons newer versions of our "nice" car as soon as they turn 15. WHAM! "enough" sucker punches talk of their new custom built 3000 square foot house. BAM! (those are all the fighting words i know, so i'll have to quit…but you get the idea.) :)
striving for simpler and less has made me so much happier with the things i do have…and less attached too. recognizing that what i have is enough- more than enough…that it is a gift from God to have what i have…it has given me the power to overcome the pull of consumerism (not every time, but most of the time now). i may still think things are beautiful or cool, but i know that i do not need to own them. more things will not make my life better or make me more bohemian or edgy or whatever i'm into at the moment. i am not what i put on. i am not what i own. i am not the vacation i go on. even with more, i will still just be me.
most of us are the victims of comparison. i grew up comparing myself to the girls with cuter and larger wardrobes. as an adult, i compared myself with my friends who were getting new cars and buying newer homes. i'm not sure this is good logic, but maybe we could to find a new comparison that works for us…not so much a comparison as new people to look up to. i read blogs that emphasize this way of life on saturday mornings. i started doing this so that i could remind myself of my values before i was tempted off to the shopping scene. it realigns my weekend ahead. it makes me feel part of a community…not alone. finding a real life friend who embraces these values fully has proven more difficult.
my ability to recognize enough was first inspired by others choosing to live with less than i had. choosing to pare down my stash of everything made that pared down state the desirable goal. now i don't want to wreck that state of less…with more. ta-da! :) sounds so simplistic…it takes a lot of work…and time for the mind to adjust…but, i think it pretty much is that simple.
this journal is meant to encourage you, my friends, in your journey...and me in mine…and i'd love it if you spoke back! i like to write about simplicity here…simple wardrobes, simple recipes, simple pleasures. at the core of these…or maybe as a result of these…or maybe in the midst of seeking them…comes this idea of the power of enough. may we all find it and keep it at the ready.
image above is from pure green magazine. a couple creating slowly and deliberately and inspiring me to see beauty in the simple life. and actually you could see more of it through my etsy shop (sheepish smile)…not that you need it! :) it's just time for me to pass it on.
love,
jane
