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What's an item that you didn't really need, but still brings you joy? Do you have a lot of stuff, or are you more of a minimalist?
This week's Spiritual Newsletter is all about wants, and needs, and balance.
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Do you own a lot of stuff? As I look around me I see my books, my plushies, plenty of pillows and blankets, my paintings and art prints, and all of them bring a smile to my face. It’s a place of comfort, filled with what brings me joy. A lot of it’s rather geeky. Perhaps not what you’d expect of someone of a certain age. I don’t care, though. It’s me.
As much as I like my stuff, I am not a hoarder. About a year ago I sorted through everything for items to rehome. Books I’ve read and probably won’t read again, clothes I’m unlikely to wear again, random items I’ve never found a use for. It was good to do, and at some point in the future I will likely do it again – it may not be a fun job, but it’s good to keep on top of these things.
I’ve read about the benefits of decluttering and, indeed, many faiths advocate a minimalist lifestyle. Living with fewer possessions – focussing on what you need – not only saves money and reduces your environmental impact, it apparently can reduce stress levels. Perhaps, for some people, it does have a positive impact on their mental health. People differ – I find that I benefit from having some items around me that may not be strictly what I need, but that increase my happiness levels.
Sometimes the minimalist message is spread by those who are surrounded by riches. It’s not always the case, of course, but even some church leaders advocating such a lifestyle live contrary to their own message – all the way up to purchasing private jets – and I confess that this makes me wonder why they feel that minimalism is good for us, but not for them.
I do get the idea that overspending and overloading ourselves with possessions is not the healthiest way to live one’s life. There can be a pressure to keep up with the latest styles and trends, and everywhere around us is the message to buy, buy, buy. When I was a kid there were some billboards along busy roads, and there were ads between television shows, but nowadays people are constantly exposed to promises that if you spend your money on this or that, your life will be so much better – it will even solve problems you didn’t know you had and never worried about before! It’s changed the way that people see themselves and judge others. Taking a step back from that, where possible, can lead to beneficial reflection and the realisation that constant spending does not bring true happiness.
As always, then, there is a balance to be had. It is not necessary to reject anything beyond your basic needs, unless that is what you truly want. You can have some items that add to your overall happiness level – as long as these fit your budget. There’s no reason not to get that cute top, or that plush toy, unless you already have a dozen other cute tops that you never wear, and shelves of plushies that just sit there, ignored and covered in dust. Indeed, I think it’s nice that quite a few adults now enjoy games and toys – Lego, for example, has become rather popular with an 18+ audience. Life is often tough, and it helps to permit ourselves fun and relaxation.
The gap between the wealthy and the poor is widening. Not a few countries are seeing necessary systems being stripped to the bone – healthcare, education, even bin collections are affected around here. The finger’s pointed at migrants, or people unable to work due to disabilities or health problems, but deep down we know (or ought to know) that that’s just the same old scapegoating that’s always gone on. In such a political climate you have those that sneer if someone with a low-paying job dares to purchase something beyond basic necessities. The response is even worse if someone in receipt of social security payments dares to do so! It’s that mentality of ‘why should they have something I have’, and the bitter ‘but that’s my taxes paying for that’, and I don’t know about you, but I prefer it if other people’s lives aren’t one long struggle and that they do get to have something nice every now and then. Life oughtn’t be just survival; we should be living it.
We each of us figure out somewhere along the way how to live our best lives within the circumstances that we find ourselves in. For some of us, that’ll be the minimalist lifestyle; for others it’s not. As long as we do not get ourselves, or others, in trouble with our decisions, there is no need to fret.
NaNoKit
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Spiritual: January 17, 2024 Issue [#12369]
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