Happy New Year! I hope you are well and had a lovely holiday. It was a different holiday season for us this year. I noticed feeling anxious and lacking as Christmas got closer. We had fewer presents and not very many activities planned.
I kept feeling the urge to go get one more present to make sure we had enough. But I’d recently read a blog post on a website call becoming minimalist that really had me thinking about less as more. Plus I wanted to stay conscious (for once) about our gifts budget.
The blog I read tells of a guy who heads out for a hike. He packs all the stuff he’ll need to “be prepared”. He hikes for a while, then comes to a fork in the path.
Will he take the path to the lake? He’s been there many times. It’s familiar and comfortable. Or will he take the path that is uphill ten more miles and make it to the waterfall he’s always wanted to see? One problem: his pack is way too heavy for the ten-mile hike.
I’ve done that in my life. Overstuffed my life pack. I wanted to do something and then decided before I can do it that I need something more, a new book or some item of clothing or other equipment. More is better, right?
Going for the “more” has kept me busy and given me a false sense of security. It’s weighed me down. It’s limited my ability to follow my passions and seek out the adventures I truly need in my life. These adventures usually lead me to important life lessons.
But less often can make me feel unprepared and lacking–and that is scary. What will fill those big holes of uncertainty?
Sitting with those uncertainties is what mindfulness is all about. Much about life is uncertain. No matter what you put in your pack, there will always be some possibility you are not prepared for. More is not an insurance policy for assured comfort, certainly and success.
Less can be the path to more of the things that really matter. Shedding bad eating habits, unhealthy relationships, unfulfilling work, an over scheduled week and general space-filling stuff CAN make a big difference. The space this opens up can lead to more clarity, gratitude, adventure and love.
Our holiday turned out much better than I expected. We made a scavenger hunt with the presents all over the house, garage and yard. Our two teenagers scrambled upstairs and downstairs and even outside barefeet in their pajamas. They loved it. They might even remember it. Less truly was more.
Be well…it’s a state of mind.
Alice Dommert
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