Less

2023-10-22

Most of us are busy. Our lives are full. We must work to make money to pay our mortgages. Kids must be taken to school and piano lessons and football training. And our cars and sofas and refrigerators constantly threaten us with breaking and requiring time and money for repair or replacement.

We live in a culture where more is considered better. We tend to admire people who work a lot. We tend to admire people who have acquired many skills. We tend to view people who own many things as successful. And we tend to strive to be like those successful people.

What we tend to forget is that the people we appreciate most to have around us are not the most successful. No - it’s the people who care for us, who take time to be with us and who love us for who we are. What we tend to forget is success does not equal happiness. What we tend to forget is that though physical belongings can give joy and be useful, owning them also has a cost in terms of storage, safe-keeping and maintenance.

As human beings, we have one essential resource to dispose of: our time. It is firmly limited to 24 precious hours each day.

Pause here for a moment. Think about what you really want to spend those hours on. Don’t rush it. I’ll wait for you.

No cheating.

Thank you for your time. You may read on now.

I believe that this simple reflection is a key to our transition into a thriving future. I believe that our lives would be richer and happier if we took the time to reflect on what’s truly important to us and shifted our lives to spend more time on those things. I also believe that it would reduce our overconsumption of energy, food, raw materials and other resources that are getting scarce.

I don’t know about you, but for me this has been true:

• I have worked too much to support a material standard that didn’t make me happier.
• I have bought new things because I didn’t have time to repair something I already owned.
• I have bought new things because I didn’t have time to look for the stuff I put in the cellar last season.
• I have spent energy on worrying that expensive things I own will break or get stolen.
• I have time after time resorted to buying something new or eating something unhealthy for stress relief - even though it has never helped.
• I have neglected the things I do know are healing for me: good sleep, exercise, healthy food, seeing friends and family, moments of quiet.
• I have missed so many moments of my kids’ childhoods because I was always on my way to something else. Those moments will not come back.

I am slowly shifting my life into a life of less. Less work, less belongings.

I have found that working less makes more time for handling everyday crises like being out of milk or an unexpected need for a birthday present. I have found that prioritizing sleep makes me worry less and think clearer. I have found that spending more time with my kids makes us a better family. I have found that long walks and the presence of trees are healing for my mind. I have found that owning less things brings me peace of mind. I have found that two minutes of a simple breathing exercise gives me focus and new energy like no chocolate bar has ever done. None of this is novel or surprising, but I’m glad I have the first hand experience.

How about you? You have 24 hours to spend each day. What are the things that are worthy of your time?