Just Enough, Not Too Much

Living with a Little Less

We already have everything we need. All the ingredients required for us to thrive are available right now. We don’t, in fact, need anything more. Happiness is here, just waiting to be claimed.

In this season of simplicity, of returning to the essential, why not embrace the possibility of less? Why not spend a little less, consume a little less, worry a little less? Instead of heading out into the blustery world hoping to fill our buckets of happiness, why not turn inward instead, knowing that the gifts we seek are already here? Why not make a practice of living in a body that trusts we already have everything we need in order to shine?

The man-made world wants us to believe we need more in order to be happy. The gods of commerce need us to spend more money in order for them to profit. The easiest way for them to do this is convince us that our lives are somehow lacking, that we need to buy something new in order to be fulfilled.

But how can this possibly be? If we're fortunate enough to have a warm and safe place to call home, food in the fridge, a few good friends, and a body that still works reasonably well, what more do we need in order to be content? Love doesn't cost a dime. Peace doesn't require us to go anywhere. So much in this world is freely offered. It takes so very little to be whole.

Perhaps in the season ahead, we might make a practice of being a bit more deliberate about how we spend our resources: our time, our money, our attention. We might grow a little clearer about how we choose to focus our energy, sticking with what matters most and letting the rest fall away. We might settle inward, simplifying our lives, living with a little less. We might strengthen our superpower of restraint.

In the process, let's not confuse restraint with denial. We don't need to become monks in order to live a little more gently, to find our way back to the middle way. We can go wild with celebration and exuberance from time to time. And we can balance this with simplicity on other days. As my son's first-grade teacher used to say, "Not every meal has to be a feast."

Consider the possibility that there might even be a quiet delight that grows out of conserving resources, of needing less. What a relief to have a smaller footprint in the world. What a relief to not need another storage bin to store all our stuff. What a relief to stop exhausting ourselves with the endless pursuit of more. And what a relief to remember that we already have enough - that we already are enough - right here and right now.

As always, Mother Nature leads the way. In this slow and spacious season, let's pare back to the roots. Let's grow quiet. Let's save our energy, our time, our money, for what matters most: wellbeing for ourselves, our loved ones, the world around us. Let's embrace with whole heart the mantra “just enough and not too much.”

Who knows what may emerge from this break from endless consumption? Perhaps we’ll learn to savor the gifts we have, and in the process grow a little less desperate and needy, a little more settled and content. Together we'll celebrate in quieter ways, rediscovering anew the manifold gifts that already surround us and that require not a penny to savor. We need only open our eyes.