The Necessities Of Life

Life does not need to be a struggle if our wants are few, and we can find joy in the little things. 

In some small way each move toward reducing complexity and speed in our lives relieves us of the superfluous. Each time we get closer to defining the necessities of life.

The less we need to get by the less we have to engage in paid labour. We can spend more time following our passions.

There are many ways to spend the moments we steal back from multi-tasking modern lifestyles. Many people find they enjoy being with loved ones, pursuing an art or craft, or volunteering in their communities.

My local newspaper had a story today about a 96 year old that passed recently. He was well known in the area not only for his sense of humour, but also for the fact that he built a hockey rink in the yard to get his kids off the street.

That was in 1958, and after many improvements, the rink is still used by hockey teams and skaters from far around. Perhaps this community volunteer found extra time due to his simple approach to life.

His son said of his father's view on things,

"All he needed was the necessities. Luxurious things he didn’t care about. He didn’t care about trips or having the fanciest cars or anything, just what he needed to get by.”

Sounds like a great epitaph for a man that discovered that life does not need to be a passionless struggle filled with the things and situations modern complexity requires.

We can choose slower, less resource-intensive lives that enable us to live more. Acquiring the necessities should not have to be a punishment.