The world conditions us never to be satisfied with what we have. Every day, we hear that the key to happiness lies with the next purchase—that new pair of shoes, a shiny new car, or a big house to impress our friends. Today, I continue my May Simple Living Sunday tribute to qualities I admire in my mum, with a look at being satisfied with the blessing of having just enough.
We need much less than we think we need.
Maya Angelou
Three simple pleasures and highlights
Continuing my practice of celebrating the simple things in life, here are three simple pleasures and highlights of the last week.
- This week, we enjoyed some beautiful summer-like weather with temperatures soaring into the mid-20s. It was good for the soul to get outside more.
- I reduced my hours at work to four days a week effective May 1. As I was away last week, this Friday was really my first regular Friday off. It was so nice to have the day to get my errands and other chores done so I can enjoy the weekend.
- On Friday night, we watched the premiere of our daughter Laura’s college portfolio film Wonder Boy. It was great to see the culmination of all her years of hard work.
This week’s simple living focus: the blessing of having just enough
When I searched for quotes on having enough, one of the first things I saw was “I have enough shoes—said no-one ever.” As I kept scrolling, I saw several variations of the same quote with the word shoes replaced by jewellery, bikinis, clothes… You get the picture. The clear message is more is better and you can never have enough material possessions.
Marketers want you to think there’s something wrong with you if you’re satisfied with what you have. When I was younger, I believed the lie. I treated shopping as entertainment, and bought stuff I didn’t really need. When I visited friends and family members in their big houses, I always came home thinking I needed a bigger house, nicer furniture…
Our house is about 1,400 square feet—small by today’s standards but more than big enough for our family of four. Over the years, when I thought we needed a bigger house, I reminded myself that my parents raised four children in a house about half the size of ours. I remember my dad saying “Our house may not be a palace, but it’s enough for us.” There’s that word. “Enough.”
Then I think of my mum. She grew up in a tiny cottage in Ireland with her parents and more siblings than I can name. (I think there were 15 children altogether). They had very little, yet it was enough. I’ve never known my mum not to be happy with what she has. She squeezes maximum use out of everything from her car to the food she buys. Nothing is ever wasted when mum’s around.
The advantages of having just enough
As the years went by, I saw the benefits of not trying to keep up with the Joneses, or the Kardashians: more money in the bank, less time spent on cleaning and upkeep, and less pressure to work more hours to earn more money to buy more things.
To know when you have enough is to be rich beyond measure.
Lao Tzu
I truly believe that being satisfied with having just enough, instead of constantly striving for more, is the key to a happier and more peaceful life. It’s a simple message you’ll never see on any marketing billboard, but it’s worth writing on a sticky note to look at every day as a reminder. “I have enough.”
This week and always, I wish you the blessing of having just enough.
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Three things to do this week
So, how can you change your mindset to appreciate the blessings of having just enough? Let’s have a look at three simple things you can do this week to get started.
Be grateful
I wrote about gratitude in an earlier Simple Living Sunday post. A gratitude practice is a powerful thing. There’s no better way to shift your perspective than by being grateful for what you have.
Start by taking 10 minutes to make a list of things you are grateful for. Then, add to your list throughout the week. Post the list where you’ll see it often.
Decide to be satisfied with what you already have
Enough is a decision.
Miranda Anderson
If you find yourself feeling envious of others, shift your perspective. You have the power to decide that what you already have is enough, instead of yearning for more. Remind yourself of the benefits of the life you‘re living, and the feeling of freedom you get from not being a slave to the constant need to accumulate.
Revisit your goals
If you have goals you’re working towards, revisit them with a critical eye. Will achieving those goals improve your life, or will it add more complications and additional stress? Be honest with yourself and revisit your goals with your values in mind. If the goals don’t support your values, it might be time for some new goals.
This week, may you reap the pleasure of having just enough, and the abundance of peace that goes along with it.
Do you feel satisfied with having just enough, or do you think it’s important to always be working toward something more? Tell me your thoughts below.
I am totally behind this. I’ve always lived on just enough. As long as my food is nutritious, I have a roof over my head, and that I’m healthy, I really want for little else.
Except writing implements. Oh gosh the amount of fountain pens and pencils and notepads and paper and journals and mechanical keyboards that I have. All in the name of putting words on paper.
Other than that, though. I’m pretty happy with a simple life 😛
Ha ha. We all have our vices, Stuart. My weakness is band and concert t-shirts. I can’t bear the thought of parting with any of them.
Thanks for dropping by!
Another cracking post!
It’s true. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of wanting more when you don’t need it.
Wanting more just feeds dissatisfaction in life.
Thanks Rachel. You’re so right about wanting more feeding dissatisfaction. The constant quest for the next thing can also lead to burnout because people don’t stop and enjoy what they already have.
This is such an excellent point – being happy with just enough frees us up for so much more. Lovely post!
You’re right. One of my other readers pointed out that many people think that accepting enough means you’re “settling”. On the contrary, it actually lets you focus on and achieve the important things—the big wins rather than all the minutiae of more.
I LOVE your blog posts, Michelle! I wish you had a massive readership… however, today I will remain grateful that I am able to read your reassuring words and to trust that — for now — you have enough readers! It is such a sad travesty that so many of our most creative human minds have devoted themselves to the advertising industry — which exists to contaminate/assault our sense of “enough” and lure/entice/shame/bully us into over-consuming… Please keep writing and inspiring us!!!
Thanks so much for your kind words Will. I wish I had a massive readership too, but even if I inspire a handful of people with my posts, it’s time well spent. Maybe one day, I will package all my wisdom into a book. Sounds like a good retirement project. Imagine if the advertising industry really focused on making people’s lives better, instead of just encouraging mindless consumption! Wouldn’t that be wonderful!
Love that quote by Leo Tzu. One of my favourite mantras I live by in life is to want what I already have. If we all just take a moment to look around us like you said, we would have, many of us would have so much to be grateful for. I think I grew up with a generation that felt they needed to give their kids everything they never had as kids… and for me, I don’t think of it that way. I do want to give Charlotte everything I didn’t have but for me, what I didn’t have was a sense of safety, a sense of family and plenty of parent affection and boundaries. All the rest that I didn’t have, I see that as my luck in life to have understand what having very little possessions felt like which allowed me later in life to appreciate all the things that I did end up acquiring and in the end, valuing more individually (a car, a condo/house, partner, etc).
I also think a lot of people hear the word “enough” and relating it to “settling” when in fact it is quite the opposite.. it’s all about appreciation and perspective! 🙂
Hmmm. Not sure what happened to the very thoughtful reply I posted to this comment earlier.
It’s a shame that people relate “enough” to settling. To me, there’s so much more satisfaction in it than in all the material possessions in the world.
When our girls were small, we did go a little overboard, especially at Christmas. Even so, we taught them not to compare themselves to others. We must have done something right because they’re both pretty low maintenance.
That first line really sticks with me, ‘The world conditions us never to be satisfied with what we have’. It never feels like enough, but it should.
I loved the weather this weekend; it was nice to get outside. Congratulations to your daughter on the premiere of her college portfolio film! Your amazing mum sounds a lot like mine, as she also squeezes the maximum use out of everything and appreciates what she has, especially after growing up with very little.
I love your 10-minute activity to appreciate what you are grateful for in your life.
Thank you for sharing! I am working on being grateful for what I have. I know my happiness isn’t based on things, and I try not to compare my life to the unrealistic and false versions portrayed on social media. 😊
Thanks for your comment. I did reply yesterday but, for some reason, all my comments disappeared. 🙁
I agree that social media contributes to the feeling that we always need more and more. We have to remind ourselves that much if it is fake, or at least embellished to make us feel FOMO!
What a lovely revelation: “I have enough.” I am in love with this saying, as I have never dreamed of wealth or luxury. My only aspiration is to make enough to live while doing what I love. 🙂
Thanks Jaya. That is such a wonderful aspiration. Doing something you love is so much more important than all the material wealth in the world.
Michelle when I read about your mother and her back story I just thought of my mother. She is just like that. She knows how to use everything and nothing is ever wasted. Personally, to be honest, I spent a period of my life that I always wanted to buy more and more. I realized at some point that I had this need because I was not happy with my life. Currently, I just spend my money for this I truly need and value my money more. I really enjoyed reading this!
Thanks Eri. I think we all go through a period of time where we think buying things will make us happy. It takes a lot of reflection and self-awareness to move beyond that.