The Naked Truth

photo courtesy of Joni Hernandez

The more I learn, the more I realize that there is a fine connection between frugality and zen. As we pursue materialism and “comfort shopping”, we tend to lose ourselves and become something else. The lifestyle of having less can be just as chic as the lifestyle of the rich and famous, it all depends on what you do with it.

This is a question of identity that forces us to question the way our economy works. If we step back, we can realize this death spiral of relentless purchasing. If we were to stop, this system will undoubtedly collapse but every second we continue on, we are forcing millions of others who are less fortunate into more suffering. It’s an ingenious scheme to propel an entire country’s economy off of greed, but the price tag is our humanity. It is a lot to take in so I’m going to share with you some ways to start closer at home.

• Understand that “materialism” is “mindlessness” and call it quits in this endless race. You first must realize that having more actually inhibits you and adds clutter to your life. Our way of life is destroying not only the planet, but it’s destroying our priorities. The life we live is unsustainable and we must understand this.
• Slow down and take time off from your daily schedule. Apparently, everyone has a busy life and somehow has “no time”. Everywhere we look, we find people who are busier than we are and are still squeezing in hours in their maniacal lives. We will always have time, we just never set time aside. Try an hour a day or maybe several hours on the weekends. Take this time to escape, reflect, and breathe.
• Eliminate artificial “noise”. It’s almost impossible to be in complete silence for there is life all around us. What you can do is eliminate noises such as the whir of a computer, a fan, your phone, the iPod, etc.. Try living without all of these for a moment and collect yourself. These “noises” can amplify your anxiety and leave you unsatisfied with life.
• Make a habit of “detox” in all aspects of your life. Continually flush your system of clutter such as downsizing your closet and pulling out all clothes that you haven’t worn in the past few months. You can flush out your computer folders, your backpack, your purse, and your diet. Try going on a 24 hour dry fast (no food, no water) to completely cleanse your body. Studies show that dry fasts can help enhance memory along with flushing out build up in your system.
• Understand where you are, who you are, and just how lucky you are. Too often we take for granted the commodities of our lives and drift through life pissed off about all the wrong things. We in America make up less than 5% of the world’s population but we consume 25%, that’s a quarter, of the world’s energy. Just making it day to day without worrying about eating, a place to stay, facing extreme temperatures, is a luxury that we enjoy. Ponder about the suffering in the world and whether or not you really need to fuel your materialism.

Five points to keep in mind if you want a little more peace and comfort out of your life.