Apr 22, 2009: Less Is More

Several thousand years ago, a sage named Lao Tzu said, “If you know what is enough, you will always have enough.”

In our buy-now, buy-more society, we often lose sight of what’s “enough.” Here are a few concrete ways to pare down, live with less, and have “enough” to be truly healthy and happy.

Give stuff away. If you haven’t used the exercise bike in two years, either start riding, or donate it to a favorite charity. Get a box and go through your kitchen. Anything you can’t remember how to use, give it away. Anything you have so many of that you don’t even use them all when you feed a crowd at Christmas dinner, donate some. Same thing with clothes. Same thing with linens. Giving is good for the heart, and less clutter is good for the heart too.

Slow down and enjoy your food. If you slow down and savor each delicious bite, you’ll end up eating less and maybe even losing weight. Don’t shovel—put down your fork between bites. And be sure to thank the chef, even if it’s yourself. Good cooking deserves loud appreciation.

Learn to say no. It’s easy to be overwhelmed with jobs and activities. Start by making a list of essential responsibilities. Making sure there’s enough food in the house might be one of those. Making everyone’s breakfast every day may not need to be on the essentials list. Once you’ve defined what’s essential, look at other jobs and activities you’ve taken on. Decide which contribute to your happiness and sense of well-being, and keep those. Any job that’s just a “job,” see if you can delegate or trade it away.

You can also learn to spend less. Many of us need to shop smart in these tough economic times. One way to make buying decisions is to think of money in terms of time. If you make $10 an hour and you want to buy a $140 iPod, ask yourself, am I willing to work 14 extra hours to pay for this item? If you make $30 an hour and you want to buy a car, calculate first. A $15,000 car equates to 500 hours of work. That’s about five months’ salary, ignoring all other regular living expenses. I’m not saying don’t buy, but I am saying, think about it.

Remember that as long as we have food, shelter, clothes, and the love of family and friends, we really do have “enough.”