Over the years I’ve adopted a simple way of life. I don’t strive for material possessions, I try to be humble, and I let others live their lives as they wish. I don’t fight over philosophy, religion, or politics. I don’t strive for personal success or recognition. It’s similar in some ways to Buddhism.
Sometimes I question though, have I chosen this view on life because I’ve resigned myself to the idea that I won’t ever have material possessions or great success? Is it merely my way of hiding from myself and others fear that I wouldn’t succeed if I tried for these things?
It’s easy to renounce material things when you don’t really have any. It’s easy to avoid trying when you convince yourself that you’re doing for spiritual or philosophical reasons.
I’ve noticed that a number of other posters on this forum hold similar beliefs of leading simple lives. Have you too ever questioned your motivations?
Yes this thought has crossed my mind. I too live a very simple life. I have two possessions of any value…my laptop and my truck.
I’ve wondered how much of my values that I’ve developed over the years are based on an excuse for the fact that I gave up on (I hate to say it) achieving what most in this world strive to achieve. It’s hard to say for myself how much is this and how much is a sort of disillusionment with conventional things or how much of it I picked up from having been raised by people who don’t value the material as much as they certainly could or even look down on putting too much value on material things.
I don’t know, it’s hard to say for me, but I do know that it has been damn convenient for me to adopt my disdain for things like the pursuit of wealth and the material. Perhaps a lot of it is just a way to feel better about my circumstances?
I am not materialistic - I do like to simplify my life, I have to or I will either drown or break. No more toxic people, no more stimulating environments etc… I try to avoid drama and chaos whenever I can
I proved to be pure in my motivations. This was only due to the suffering though, had it not happened i would have been such a consumer, i would have been an entirely different person and a worse person i think.
That all depends on how old you are!
Seriousously ( you can correct that spelling! ) a person does get to the point where they realize that all of that stuff doesn`t make a person happy-and in place of going through drama, illness,etc…you can see that there really are only a few things that matter, and are not worth all the chaos.
I think you are in a good and right place**
I like to shop - rich or poor. Have since I was a kid. I’ve given most of my stuff to thrift stores, yard sales. Stuff comes back in. I’ve been trying to simplify my life since college. For me it has to do with possessions. I read somewhere if you want to do that, use you already have. I think bridgecomet is right. Maybe I’ve…almost reached the time to start using the things I have, rather than trying to stop the inflow. I know that I can do this at any point in time.
I can totally see where you’re coming from on this one. There is an element of being in the same boat as far as the thinking. “I’m not giving up on myself…I’m embracing a spiritual path.”
When I was thinking I was going to be a zen master, I gave a lot of stuff away and almost had myself convinced I should live in a trailer on the beach.
But then delusions and defeatist thinking aside… thinks are going well. I’m happy with how life is for now. I’m living a simple life for now because I’m not sure how to live a complicated one.
If I had the money for the big house… I’d rather have the money in the bank for any glitches or med problems or heck… splashing out a little on the family who has stuck by me so much.
I just don’t have killer ambition. I do want the small surf hut on the beach. I do want to have enough to start a family.