What I Want

Here is what I want in life, in a nutshell. I could probably tweak the list a bit, but overall, this is it.



Wholesome food

A warm, dry dwelling

A bicycle (and helmet)

Clothes to keep me comfortable in all seasons

At least one good friend

My health

A big garden

Kitchen supplies to make whatever food I enjoy

Basic tools



Bonus things that I enjoy, but could live without if I had to: guitar, art supplies, snowshoes, simple furniture, a computer, camera, and chocolate.

It always amazes me when people want more than the basics, more than enough. Once one has enough, what is the more for? Why expend so much effort to get more than one needs?

Considering there are still about 700 million people on the planet living in extreme poverty, it seems that having just enough to live a simple life is something to be very grateful for. 

So that is what I want. What else? Nothing.

Keeping my wants in check allows me to have what I want most of all - a lasting peace of mind, an unhurried simple life, and a liveable planet.

My Vegetable Garden Just Got 4 - 6% More Valuable

Our garden is one of the best investments we make each year. This is last year's cash crop. Better than a gold mine, and more fun.

I find it interesting to see that many consumer staples that we don't need are getting cheaper and cheaper, while things that we do need, like food, are getting more expensive all the time.

This year, the price of vegetables is predicted to rise between 4 and 6 percent, and that is after quickly rising fruit and vegetable prices in previous years.

The way I see it, growing a garden gets better and better with each year that passes. This year alone, my garden will be 4 to 6% more valuable than last year. 

Compare that to the 0.5% that I get on my "high interest" bank account. A garden is even a better investment than gold bullion, and a lot less volatile. 

And unlike money, or gold, or stocks and bonds, when you invest in gardening, you can eat the results. Plus what a garden does for you soul can not be counted in dollars. It is an investment in personal wellness.

Happy Summer, and happy gardening. Or, for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, happy Winter, and happy gardening.

Spring Memories

Every year about this time I step outside, take a deep breathe, and smell that smell. Each year it is a smell that triggers a memory almost as old as I am.

It is not of flowers, or gardening. Nor does it concern the balance between winter's dark and summer's light. It isn't about the exuberant energy about to wash over me, or a Saxon goddess, or fertility. Nope.

The memory that comes to me about this time every year is about playing marbles. 

This persistent memory etched into the folds of my brain was formed in my elementary school days. Life was good, and it was one of the happiest times of my life.

I lived 3 city blocks from school, so walked to and from there every day. That meant being outside and noticing things, like the light and heat returning. I felt safe traversing my neighbourhood, and knew that I could, if needed, knock on any door and get help.

Once at school, my dad was the principal, so the classroom and school grounds felt like an extension of home. It was a carefree and innocent time. 

At the end of every winter I would break out my big bag of marbles and count the agates, crystals, steelies, cateyes and boulders. My brothers and I would compare our caches of glassy globes, ready to bring to school when the time was right.

After long, cold winters, the student body became restless waiting for warmer weather. When we went outside for recess, it was that smell that you wanted to smell. 

It came in the moment after the snow melted, and the ground began to thaw. And then, after a few sunny days, the glorious time had arrived that everyone had been waiting for since the marble bag had been put away for the winter. 

That unique smell advertised the fact that the playing field had thawed, and dried out sufficiently. It was time for marbles again, and the joy in the classroom was palpable. We couldn't wait to get outside.

That is what the little boy in me thinks about every year when I am outside and smell that distinctive odour of the landscape waking up. It is a simple, powerful memory that never ceases to bring me joy.

Happy spring, everyone. It's time to play.

5 Therapies More Effective Than Retail Therapy

Note to self.

Retail Therapy Patient: "Hey, I bought something!" 

Minimalist: "And?" 

Patient: "And now I'm happy." 

Minimalist: "Are you really?"

Patient: "Actually, I'm not feeling as happy as I was when I first bought it." 

Minimalist: "That is because that kind of happiness is temporary at best." 

Patient: "Oh, now I am sad and I have buyer's remorse." 

A while later - "I bought something else, and now I'm happy again. Oh, hold on..."

Minimalist: "Argh. I can help you with that."

Retail Therapy is the act of buying something to make one feel better. It does actually work... for a very brief moment in time. 

The effect quickly wears off, while the credit card balance tends to linger. Buyer's remorse soon sets in. The cycle repeats.

If you are feeling down, here are 5 therapies more effective than buying stuff you don't want or need just to feel better from the initial rush.

Nature Therapy - go for a walk in the park or some other natural area. Sit quietly. Breathe. If you can't do that, look out a window with a view, or look at pictures of nature. They all have lasting benefits for mood improvement.

Conversation Therapy - meet with a good friend and talk about your feelings.

Exercise Therapy - a 30 minute workout does wonders for your state of mind. It does not have to cost anything, and you will be improving your health at the same time. Can be combined with any, or all of the other forms of therapy mentioned here.

Meditation Therapy - sit quietly, and clear your mind for 20 minutes. 

Garden Therapy - gardening is good for every aspect of a person. After a session you not only feel better, but will also have healthy food to eat, which will further improve your mood.

Repeat as necessary. Lasting mood improvement guaranteed, and you don't have to buy anything. No buyer's remorse, no debt.

Simple Living And Consumerism Both Promise Happiness - Only One Delivers

Want to kill consumerism? Being happy with less is the way to do it.

Simple living and consumerism both offer the promise of happiness. That is about all they have in common.

Simplicity seeks happiness internally. Consumerism seeks happiness externally.

Simplicity teaches us to aspire to a better life with less. Consumerism teaches us to perpetually desire more.

Simplicity teaches detachment from the empty promises of the merchants of materialism. Lasting happiness while engaging in consumerist exploits is unlikely to happen - it is intentionally designed that way to keep consumers constantly unsatisfied and looking to buy relief.

Simple living teaches us to be selfless. Consumerism teaches us to be selfish.

Simplicity teaches us to love all living beings. Consumerism teaches us to love all our things.

Simplicity teaches us to not compare. Consumerism teaches constant comparison, and gives lessons in jealousy and insecurity.

Simple living teaches the use of minimal materials. Consumerism teaches blatant overconsumption. 

Simplicity teaches us to live in the present moment. Consumerism teaches us about a future world of endless desires, and the past’s inevitable dissatisfactions.

Simplicity teaches peace of mind. Consumerism, even with all that “great” stuff, can only teach dissatisfaction.

Consumers eventually learn of the limitations of trying to buy their way to an ever elusive contentment. Slowly, reluctantly, the unsatisfied turn to simple living, a tried and true method for attaining lasting happiness, peace, and contentment. 

Many are waving the white flag and surrendering to the reasoning inherent in the practice of simplicity. Letting go of endless material pursuits, simple living practitioners are allowing the simple life to lead them to more satisfying and authentic ways of being. 

The results speak for themselves. 

Simple living has been serving billions of satisfied customers for thousands of years. Satisfaction guaranteed. 

That is a promise that can not be beat at any price.

Piles Of Stuff

Photo from "Material World" by Peter Menzel.

I think one reason that garage sales are so popular is not just because you can get good things you need for a fraction of the price of new, or that it is a more efficient use of materials. Such sales feed deeper needs.

Perhaps even more important, is our ability to get a glimpse of someone else's pile of stuff, or at least a good portion it. We like to see what other people own, and how that compares to our own possessions. 

Photo from "Material World" by Peter Menzel.

It may also make us feel less guilty about all the "cool stuff" we own, compared to the "obvious crap" that other people own. Garage/yard sales are an interesting, and possibly useful, activity when seen this way. 

How else, but by comparison, can we ascertain whether our pile of stuff is too much, or too little? We can begin to wonder what a pile of "just right" proportions might look like.

Photo from "Material World" by Peter Menzel.

To look into another's hearth is something we seem to be innately drawn to. 

American photographer Peter Menzel's 1994 book called,"Material World: A Global Family Portrait", does just that. It takes a peek at participants posing with all their possessions in front of their homes, representing 30 nations in all. 

Photo from "All I Own" by Sannah Kvist.

Menzel's book is a mind expander that helps one develop gratitude, as well as a certain scale towards balancing out how much stuff is necessary for a full and happy life. 

Unsurprisingly, given the mesmerizing subject material, I found other similar possession pile picture projects.

Photo from "All I Own" by Sannah Kvist.

There is a smaller photo project called, "All I Own" by Swedish photographer Sannah Kvist. In it, she takes pictures of her 20-something friends posing with their piles of things. 

As one might expect, they tend to have small piles that may reflect their desire for a lighter, more mobile and carefree lifestyle. 

Photo from "Family Stuff" by Huang Qingjun.

Another interesting look at possession piles is the "Family Stuff" project by Chinese photographer Huang Qingjun. In China, he photographed mostly rural people and their things, but also included some shots of middle class subjects.

Photo from "Family Stuff" by Huang Qingjun.

While getting North American families to put all their possessions in one place for a photograph might be too much work, it might make an interesting project to take pics of garage sale stuff, which is already laid out in an enticing manner for full display.

Photo from "Family Stuff" by Huang Qingjun.

What if you gathered together and piled up everything you own in one spot? How would it compare to the piles of other people in your community, and around the world?

How big (or small) would that pile be? Would you need to photograph it from space, or would from the top of a ladder be enough? Would it look like too much, too little, or just enough?

Debt Slavery Hits New Highs

Do an internet search for "sad debt stories", and you will open a door to misery and woe. There are no shortage of horror stories, ranging from celebrities to the folks next door. Debt, and the resulting sad stories, should come with a strongly worded warning label.

Such labels could have pictures of things like someone burning their furniture to stay warm, or a debt collector appearing at a grave. And leaving with the headstone. And flowers.

The only thing worse than buying a bunch of stuff you don't need, is borrowing money to buy a bunch of stuff you don't need. Globally this is what seems to be happening as people gorge on consumer credit like never before. New records are being broken every year - for debt and for sad stories.

Consumer debt includes credit cards, car loans, and student loans, but not mortgages, and it has reached nose bleed levels in both the US and Canada. In my own country of high expectations, people have borrowed to maintain their lifestyles, and owe, on average, $1.73 for every $1.00 of disposable income.

Hey, if you can't support a bloated lifestyle with earned money in the bank, don't downsize - borrow, borrow, borrow, and get all the things that are going to make you happy. For a while. Maybe. Good luck paying it off.

The faster we shop, the deeper in we go. We can't seem to stop. It is an addiction, and if it weren't so darn profitable, we would consider it a national mental health crisis. Debt is the crack of consumerism, and we are smoking it as fast as we can.

In another trend, more Canadians than ever before are retiring with debt. Cue more sad stories. Some of them will die with debt. If there is no hope of ever paying it off, you fit the very definition of "debt slave".

Meanwhile, in the lending industry, the banksters lick their chops at consumers' desires, and laugh about the slogan hung on the board room wall that says, "Lend With a Smile -  Collect With a Fist".

That is why, if one is considering living a freer, simpler lifestyle, getting out of debt is of utmost importance. The chains must be broken, the debt paid off, and no new debt accrued ever again.

You can't go wrong with this in mind.

When you begin to not buy anything (or at least as little as you can get away with), you will at least not accumulate new debt. In the best case scenario, you use the money you save on not buying anything to bring your debt down, hopefully, one day, to zero.

That is freedom day. That is when you can laugh at the banks as you throw your broken chains through their front window. I would call that performance art. Get it on video if you do it, then share it far and wide so other debt slaves can see that breaking free is possible. Potentially difficult, but possible.

No unnecessary spending = no debt = freedom.

It should be noted that many people are using debt for necessary spending in an attempt to compensate for the dismal state of the wage labour situation today. Or should we say wage slavery situation? I see a disturbing trend here.

However, hope can be found in voluntary simplicity because it allows us to be less dependent on the sick systems that are trying, successfully I might add, to exploit us. They will get their pound of flesh - unless you don't buy what they have to offer.

Out Of The Closet

It's out of the closet: a minimalist wardrobe is enough.

The pioneers of one planet wardrobes are coming out of the closet, and they are clean, adequately clothed, and content. And they have some great ideas.

What a pleasure to see the discussion going on in the comments after our post on the serious global clothing clutter conundrum. There are many experiences shared that show that simplifying ones closet is the way to go for a multitude of reasons.

Linda and I have been de-clothing for many years. After reducing our possessions to what we could carry in our van in 2014, we have since reduced further, and are enjoying a more minimalist wardrobe than ever before.

Recently we have laughed about our "uniforms". Each of us have been relying on two sets of clothes since the winter started. One set is worn, while the other is to be laundered. We usually wear the same set of clothes for a week, then do laundry along with bedding and towels.

At the same time we do laundry, we have our once per week shower (more or less depending on the time of year and what we are doing). And let me tell you, if you are only having one shower a week, each and every one feels like a major spa treatment.

There is nothing like living in simplicity to heighten your appreciation and enjoyment of all aspects of life. The same goes with having too many clothes - how can you appreciate the things in your closet and drawers that you don't even know you have?

Our tiny wardrobe, coupled with our shower and laundry routines, help to make our life more simple and efficient. In simplicity, such routines become an enjoyable part of life, not something to avoid, or do in hurry rather than in savour.

And do I even need to say it saves resources and money?

In closing, let me say how satisfying it is to be able to have this discussion with such sensible readers. No fashionistas making fun of wearing last season's colours or clothes. No oversanitized hygiene hysteria. Just simple, frugal, enviro-friendly ways of living happier with less.

How refreshing.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

We are sorry your mission has been hijacked by rank consumerism. You used to stand for something wholesome, giving the needy some of the things they would need throughout the new year. Now you are a symbol and excuse for conspicuous consumption. Your name has been sullied, and it saddens us.

In order to lighten your load, and ease you guilt for reinforcing the idea that material possessions are a real substitute for happiness, we are asking that you do not visit our homes this year. This includes future years also, unless we actually need something essential for sustaining and improving life.

And how many gifts fit that bill?

That is why you started giving in the first place - to help people with things they need. Today we confuse want with need, and your mental health hangs in the balance, as you are now complicit in environmental destruction and potential global collapse.

How can you Ho Ho Ho with a straight face when you are experiencing an existential crisis?

Worry not.

Many of us are working to see the day when your simple mission has been restored, gift-giving has returned from the stratosphere, your good name has been restored, and your elves can get that holiday you've been promising them since you kicked up your sweatshop assembly lines to 24/7/365.

You can still drop by for cookies and milk if you need a break.

Happy Solstice,

Your Friends at NBA

"Happiness" by Steve Cutts

Steve Cutts is one of my favourite illustrator/animators, and not only because of his artwork. Mostly, I like him because his artwork focuses on the excesses of modern society. And there is so much excess to excoriate.

He used to work for the dark side, doing animations for evil corporations like a certain sugary water beverage maker, a high tech firm making semi-disposable electronics, and one of the biggest car makers in the world.

Then he broke free of all that, and became a freelancer doing his own thing. Since then he has been stripping the curtain back from our sick system to show the reality of our madness.

One of his first short film was "MAN", in which Cutts says he explores our relationship with the natural world. It is not a pretty picture, but should be a wake up call.

In 2016/2017 he did two music videos for the singer Moby. Both, he says, highlight "consumerism, greed, corruption and ultimately our self-destructiveness". Readers of this blog will have an awareness of all those things.

Of his new animation (the short film above), Cutts states, "The story is of a rodent's unrelenting quest for happiness and fulfillment."

Warning - some scenes are disturbingly similar to humans' pursuit of the same, and may elicit a sense of the uncanny in certain viewers.

Open Your Eyes To Simplicity

"There is nothing you need to achieve.

Just open your eyes."

 - Siddhartha Gautama

We look, but we don't see. We hear, but don't listen. We eat, but don't taste. Touch, but don't feel. We survive, but don't live. Everyone is too busy striving.

Striving to achieve, but achieve what?

A more sincere existence? A better world? Peace? No.

Not in a capitalist consumer culture in which we are trained to strive for other, less honourable manufactured, profitable and ultimately soul destroying desires.

• Material Success
• Physical Perfection
• Power
• Money
• Prestige

And of course, More, More, More.

No level of achievement is ever enough, because there is ALWAYS more to buy, consume, and hoard. The thing about the School of Consumerism is that you never graduate. You are never done. You always need to achieve more.

It sounds more like a prison.

We already have everything we need. If you can't be happy with a simple life, you won't be happy with the more complicated consumeristic alternatives either. Quit striving to achieve the things you are told to want, and you break free to live in a more natural, satisfying way.

Open your eyes to the joys of simplicity.

Simple Living Advice

Think. Ask questions. Learn. Answers follow. Take action. Repeat.

A big thank you to everyone that responded to my last post with advise for NBA reader, Hagan, who is looking to break out of the 9 to 5 and live a more adventurous and free life on the road. It has turned out to be one of my favourite comment threads of all time on our blog.

The responses are great for anyone pursuing alternative ways of living, and who isn't these days? Following the comments, and thinking about Hagan's 23 year old thoughts, has me thinking a lot about my own path, 33 years advanced from his position.

Whenever I am pondering something, patterns become apparent, and information presents itself at precisely the right time. For example, I was reading at the Down To Earth blog. I find that we are often on the same page, and this time was no different.

On her most recent post Rhonda Jean wrote:

"I think simple life is a safe haven for those of us who refuse to be dumbed down and who want to continue learning and developing ourselves all through life.

The choices are key here. Instead of following a straight and monotonous "normal" path, we can step away from that to embrace learning, independence, daily contemplation, critical thinking and individual choice. Sometimes we take the easy path, sometimes the difficult one and each day, small step by small step we move through life. 

There are times when we stop and reevaluate what we're doing, sometimes small adjustments or huge leaps are made but if we resist the noise of modern life and stay focused on our own life being a work in progress, then these periods of adjustment help us continue along the road less travelled."

I thought of Hagan, because like the comments posted here, these are words to live by, words that I have lived by. It reminded me that there are no simple answers, no one size fits all response when it comes to thinking about how we should best live this precious, precious life we have been given.

Having said that, one can't go wrong by advising a life of simplicity centred on continuous learning and self-improvement. It seems that if one focuses on that, the rest will fall into place.

Again, thank you to NBA commenters that have shared their wise thoughts with us. I do hope that Hagan has seen your kind words.

You can read the post and comments here. And if you haven't already, do consider leaving a comment of your own.

Conflicted

Stick your finger in the map - it smells of the open road. 

Do you yearn for a life on the road? Or a simple life, anywhere? Does thinking about the 9 to 5 make you nauseous? Need more than a mainstream life of conformist mediocrity?

NBA reader Hagan is feeling the disappointment of mainstream life. Like many of us, he is not feeling spiritually enlightened by materialism and the work-shop-work cycle. He left a comment on our post called Rubber Tramping.

Hagan said,

I am feeling so conflicted. I have been spending the last almost 2 years, waiting, pacing back and forth. Figuratively speaking; I've been banging my head against a wall because I don't want to live a 9 to 5 lifestyle. 

I feel stuck. I feel decompressed and restricted. I am a decently talented artist/ musician who has lived the same place in Colorado my entire almost 23 years of life. And I don't think I will be able to just.. be. 

Ever. Not like this. 

I'm asking you all for advice. How do you make a living on the road.? I've talked with good friends about this topic and a lot say spanging, wire wraps, jewellery, all the way to selling dollar beers, and grilled cheeses at music festivals. 

Please give me insight if you could as I am in need of all the advice I can find.

I responded,

Hagan,
I have been thinking about your comment since you left it here. I, and many people that visit this blog, know how you feel. Your need for freedom is palpable, and it is serious. 

You must act. 

I don't know about making a living on the road, having never had to do it before. But I do know a bit about living with as little as possible so I can be as free as possible, both on the road, and off. 

Cut your expenses, and make the life you envision happen. It will be hard, and at times scary. But it absolutely can be done. And should be done. A life of conformist mediocrity is a hard row to hoe as well, so you might as well be free. 

Be free. Do whatever it takes. That is my only advise. And let us know how it goes.

That doesn't seem like much help to this young, suffering soul, but it is a complicated situation. Pretty much everything in our way of life is meant to stifle freedom, not augment it. You will work for us. You will give us your hard earned cash in exchange for trinkets and distractions.

Obey. Conform. Wanting a simpler life and more freedom seems like a natural reaction to an un-natural exploitive system. I think Hagan is on the right path.

My own quest for simplicity has been a decades long adventure. But I do remember feeling similar feelings when I was 23. There has never been a time in my life that I envisioned doing the same things as everyone else around me. I wanted to find, and take, the road less traveled.

Regular life is not for everyone. Maybe a life such as what we have for the masses today is not for anyone. Now seems like a great time to explore alternatives, on the road, or off the road. Anywhere.

Rubber tramping. Leather tramping. Tramping. Being free. Being.

Do you have any advice for Hagan, or others (young or old) looking to live more simply and with greater freedom? How does one get off the 9 to 5? How do we break free of the chains of mainstream culture and the consumer capitalist system?

Hedonism vs Helping

NBA reader JC asked a good question in a comment in response to my post "Living As If The Planet Really Is Collapsing". If we are in a state of collapse, why do anything? This is an excellent question that is probably being asked a lot right now, all around the globe.

Here is my take.

At this point we can do one of two things.


A. Take 60s rock star Jim Morrison's hedonic advice:

I don't know what's gonna happen, man,  but I wanna have my kicks before the whole shit house goes up in flames.

Four years earlier he wrote The End in which he said:

“What have they done to the earth? What have they done to our fair sister? 

Ravaged and plundered and ripped her and bit her.  

Stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn, 

And tied her with fences and,  

dragged her down.”

He could obviously see trouble coming, even back then, and made his choice about how to respond - in a typical rock and roll fashion.

Fast forward to 2017, and it seems that many people are choosing the hedonistic route, deciding to get their kicks, and not concern themselves with the consequences.

But when has that ever worked for us? Morrison was dead by 27.

When you choose Option A you will get the same result as any other hedonic pursuit - instant, but short lived gratification, and a further deepening of the problems to which one is responding.


The other option is:

B. Choose to help. Do something to improve the world in spite of evidence which shows it might already be too late, because what if it is not?

Even if it is, choosing B is a more mindful and joyous way to live. Choosing B is not giving up. B is right living and setting limits, even when no one is forcing you to do so. Self-control and delaying gratification leads to lasting happiness and improved feelings of self worth.

It is possible that eventually the problems will be solved. Maybe unlikely, but possible.

Each of us must decide our own response. I have made my choice. It will be interesting to see what everyone else decides as we circle the drain.

The Wilderness

There are wild things in the wild lands behind my home. The blob in the middle of the photo on the bank was a dark brown mammal the size of a large house cat. At first I thought it was a river otter, but it was not.
Not sure what it was, besides amazing to see.

There is no place more simple, more basic and more real than the wilderness. Wherever I have lived I  have made sure that some form of wild area was close at hand as a refuge from the concrete and craziness. Somewhere I could experience total silence, total dark, unfettered nature, and wildlife.

What qualifies as wilderness depends on who is looking. An argument could probably be made that there is no true wilderness left, but I have personally experienced some amazing places far from the herd. I have hiked into remote mountain wilderness areas, but even there it only takes one jet to fly over to remind you that civilization is never farther away than just above your head.

Behind my new home is a forest-covered slope that descends into a valley wilderness with a beautiful brook at the bottom. The forest has all the hallmarks of an old growth ecosystem, and walking or snowshoeing through it is as wild and primitive as it gets.

Most definitions of "wilderness" mean something like "a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by civilized human activity".  From what I can see, my backyard forest fits this definition, although I do not know the history of this part of the world, which goes back several hundred years.

While hiking in the forest, which extends unbroken for kilometres in every direction, I had the good fortune to have a sighting of a small wild mammal by the brook. It was more evidence that this is wild land, and wild creatures are living here successfully. I love to know that such a wild community exists where I live.

The creature I saw is a member of the weasel family, but which one, I am not sure. I like to think that it could be a pine marten, or a fisher, two species that are rare in these parts. Both of those species require old growth forests and wild lands to live happily. Given that this is a large tract of exactly what these animals need, it makes sense that it could be one of them.

As I crouched by the rushing brook watching the dark brown animal move stealthily along the bank, I felt a deep connection to both this land and the things that live here. I can understand completely the pine marten, fisher, and other living things that need wild areas unaffected by the long reach of the civilized world.

To thrive, I do too.

The Pathless Woods

There is pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.

- Lord Byron

What Gods Do We Worship?

The gods humans across the ages have chosen to worship, have always changed. They are changing again and there is nothing enlightening about any of this new crop of devilish deities.

While the old gods don't get a lot of attention these days, even during religious observances like Christmas, the new gods are constantly celebrated and in your face. Like all good gods, they are omni-present.

Christian monk Thomas Merton warned us about the gods we choose to honour.

Every person becomes the image of the God they adore.
Those whose worship is directed to a dead thing become dead.
Those who love corruption rot.
Those who love a shadow become, themselves, a shadow.
Those who love things that must perish live in dread of their perishing.

The new gods that are adored and that we are using to formulate our image, as I see it, are:


The God of Progress

Cultural anthropologists like John Bodley will tell you all about the dangers of worshipping at the altar of Progress.

"Despite the best intentions of those who have promoted progress, all too often the results have been poverty, longer working hours, and much greater physical exertion, poor health, social disorder, discontent, discrimination, overpopulation, and environmental deterioration—combined with the destruction of the traditional culture."

While Bodley has shown that the benefits of progress are often both illusory and detrimental to tribal peoples when civilization bulldozes their tranquil lives and high standard of living, everything he says applies to the rest of us.

We are all descendants of tribal people, and all the slavering of our attention on the God of Progress has only given us longer, lower quality lives. We are all victims of the worshipping of the God of Progress.



The God of Materialism

It is well established that once we have sufficient food, shelter, and clothing, further material gains do little to improve our well-being. How is it then, that the God of Materialism is even bigger than Jesus or Buddha these days?

In "The High Price of Materialism", author Tim Kasser goes beyond the well known unhappy facts, and looks at how people's materialistic desires effect their well-being.

"Indeed, what stands out across the studies is a simple fact:  people who strongly value the pursuit of wealth and possessions report lower psychological well-being than those who are less concerned with such aims."

Now, what kind of god would knowingly do that to their devotees?

The God of War

Seemingly one of our favourites, the God of War is being worshipped now like never before. Can there be celebrations of other religious events while this brutal lord is being honoured in government temples everywhere?

Journalist John Pilger has been covering wars around the world since visiting Vietnam in 1970. He has pointed out that since 9/11, the US alone has spent $5 trillion dollars on aggressive wars, and shows that the current flight of 12 million refugees from at least four countries is only one consequence.

Imagine what the world could do with $5 trillion dollars if put toward helping rather than murdering.

"The major western democracies are moving towards corporatism. Democracy has become a business plan, with a bottom line for every human activity, every dream, every decency, every hope. 

The main parliamentary parties are now devoted to the same economic policies — socialism for the rich, capitalism for the poor — and the same foreign policy of servility to endless war. This is not democracy. It is to politics what McDonalds is to food."

This time of year is ripe for contemplation and compassion. It is a good time to take a moment to meditate and consider what gods we are really worshipping and celebrating, and why.

I Wish I Spent More Time Shopping

No one on their death bed wishes that they had spent more time shopping on the internet, or anywhere else (except maybe the garden center). No one wishes they spent more time at work, so they could get more money, so they could spend more time shopping. When we stop to think about our brief time above ground here on this beautiful planet, shopping for entertainment loses its appeal.

At any stage of life there is precious little time for us to engage in the activities that truly matter to us. Such activities would be those that lead to us becoming better humans, and those pursuits which help to make the world a better place. 

I like to consider as much as I can when deciding whether I need to shop for something right now, at a later date, or at all. Will buying that thing, or doing that thing, make me a better person? Will it make the world a better place?

If not, why bother? Why waste the time, effort and money when there are so many more important things to be done? As King Canute said to his courtiers, "Time and tide wait for no one." Today he might say, "Let all people know how empty and worthless is the power of consumerism, for there is none worthy of the name, but Nature."

While no one about to die wishes they had bought more stuff to cram into that already stuffed garage, here are a few things that they do tend to think about as their life comes to an end.

On their deathbed people tend to:

1. Wish they spent more time with family and friends.
2. Wish they spent less time working.
3. Wish they never started a bucket list.
4. Wish they spoke more honestly about how they felt.
5. Wish they chose to be happier and laughed more.
6. Wish they never sold their soul, and entire lives, to the system.

The clock is ticking. How will we choose to spend what time remains to us?

The 7 Stages Of Simple Living

The seven stages of simple living.

Change is hard, especially when we are talking about lifestyle changes. The term implies a change in the way you live your life. Could anything be more all-encompassing? No wonder people are often hesitant, and perhaps even scared, of making such changes.

Even when the changes are made voluntarily, and the person is fairly confident the changes will lead to better things, it can mean working through some or all of the seven stages of simple living.


1. SHOCK/DENIAL

Shock provides emotional protection from being overwhelmed all at once. You will probably react to  the end of consumerism in your life with numbed disbelief.

You may deny the reality of having to end this way of life at some level, in order to avoid the pain.  "I don't need to live simply right now. I can stop shopping whenever I want."


2. PAIN & GUILT

As the shock of not buying anything wears off, it can be replaced with the feeling of unbelievable pain. It is important that you experience the pain fully, and not hide it, avoid it or escape from it by shopping for things you don't need.

You may have guilty feelings or remorse over wasting time acquiring stuff and party-mentionable, yet questionable, experiences. Life feels chaotic and scary during this phase. What will you do if not work and spend, work and spend? "This makes me feel bad. If we are what we buy, who am I if I don't buy anything?"


3. ANGER & BARGAINING

Your frustration gives way to anger, and you may lash out and lay unwarranted blame for your pursuit of happiness through materialism. "Those damn advertisers made me do it. It was the glossy magazine's slick ads. I hate them."

You may rail against fate, questioning, "Why me? Why can't I just be jaded and not care?" You may also try to bargain in vain with the powers that be for a way out of your despair. "I will never shop recreationally again if you just let me keep my job."


4. DEPRESSION, REFLECTION, LONELINESS

Just when you think you should be getting on with your happy simple life, a period of sad reflection may overtake you. This is a normal stage of leaving conspicuous consumption behind, so do not be "talked out of it" by well-meaning consumers or sales people.

Encouragement to buy your way out of your situation is not helpful to you during this stage of simple living.

During this time, you finally realize the loss of your previous high environmental footprint lifestyle, and you may feel like you miss it. You may isolate yourself on purpose, reflect on things you used to buy and places you went, and focus on purchase-filled memories of the past. "It may have been expensive, damaging to the environment, and bad for my soul, but it sure was fun."

You may sense feelings of emptiness or despair. "Where is this all going?" But hang in there, things are getting better.


5. THE UPWARD TURN

As you start to adjust to a simple life of real freedom and fulfillment, things become calmer and more organized. As your possessions and busyness lessen your loneliness begins to lift. You find others who are living like you are, and connect with them for support and mutual assistance. "I feel better, and am happier than I have been for a long time."


6. RECONSTRUCTION

As your lifestyle becomes more simple and functional, your mind starts working again, and you find yourself seeking realistic solutions to problems posed by a life without buying stuff. You will start to work on practical and financial problems as you adapt to your new way of living.

You are reconstructing yourself and your life without consumerism, and it is not an easy task. But it is a worthwhile one. "I am challenged and engaged by my new simple lifestyle."


7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE

During this, the last of the seven stages in this life transition model, you learn to accept and deal with the reality of your situation. Acceptance does not necessarily mean instant happiness. Given the pain and turmoil you may have experienced, it may be a while before you return to the carefree, untroubled YOU that existed before consumerism took hold of your life.

But in simplicity, you are moving forward.

You will start to feel hopeful about the future and start to plan all manner of free, simple and beautiful things now that you have more time. Eventually, you will be able to think about your previous shopping life without pain and see it for the failed experiment in happiness that it was.

You will once again anticipate good times as you adapt to your new post-consumer life. You find joy again in the experience of living, except now it is peaceful, authentic and self-directed. "Hey, this works!"


Congratulations, you have made it through the 7 stages of simple living. Things are looking up for you, the planet, and everything that lives on it.

Be Happy For No Reason

"Don't let your happiness depend on something you may lose." 

- C. S. Lewis

Things You Can Lose

• money
• clothing
• big house
• mobility
• job
• people you love
• all your stuff

What if you base your happiness on things? Things can be lost, and eventually we will all lose something, or everything.

It is important to be happy just as you are, right now, for no reason. No one can take that away from you, no matter what happens, or what you have or don't have.

What if everything was taken from you. Would you still be happy?

"Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you are happy for a reason, you’re in trouble, because that reason can be taken."   

- Deepak Chopra