Minimal - Less, or More?

I really recommend this movie. Read my healtfelt thoughts below to learn more.

https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/81074662?preventIntent=true And here is an amazing show by Marie Kondo about getting rid of extra possessions, so you can respect what you Do have More! https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/80209379

Some of you may know what our next step in life is right now. Some of you may not. But let me tell you, a year or two ago, I didn't know either.

We grow up with some preconception about what is gonna make us happy; what we want.

But how bad do we really want it? Are we building our dreams, or just filling a void?

Over the last couple years, I have gotten the opportunity to get more involved in community, to reach out and make some new friends, and to get into the garden.

I've gone from consuming everything -including my own life- to generating, more than I ever thought I could.

Six years ago, I was living in a basement, doing little more than smoking weed, watching T.V. and playing video games.

Now, I can't say those things are naturally bad. To some degree, because it depends What we consume, How Much and What We Get Back.

In my case, I didn't feel like I was getting back. My life felt empty. I was 190 pounds, larger than I have ever been. I burned food in the oven, because I was too stoned to remember it was in there. And not only that, I burned myself out.

It turns out we need to work for everything we have, even if it doesn't really make us happy.

I realize now, I was sick.

I didn't enjoy my time any more, and I was always frustrated in my relationship, because I felt it was her fault I had to work so much just to get by.

I see now it was both of us, and neither of us.

Suffering is based on false judgments of value.

I felt like I needed a new thing every month. Maybe This will make me happy, or maybe That. Nothing really did.

I've tried living in cheaper apartments so we could have more to spend, but I found myself upset at the conditions. There wasn't enough space, I didn't feel at home, and I lived in a few run down houses or bad neighborhoods.

At one point, our door jammed closed and I had to walk through our en-suite bathroom just to get outside. On top of that, we were paying $400 a month for heating, while our apartment was cold as a bone.

Later, at a better point in our relationship, we moved into a cheap 1 bedroom apartment downtown. The area wrecked me emotionally. People shooting up in the alcoves of our building, setting fireworks off at our balcony, the smell of cigarettes in the hallway, and dogs constantly barking. There were cigarette butts everywhere outside, and it seemed like everyone's dogs were at their wits end, and we kept avoiding fights.

This year we decided we could afford ourselves a little more space, so we opted to pay for it. That isn't what this is about.

We've enjoyed living here, except maybe for the rise in crime around here and dealing with our landlord not fixing things, but mostly, this has been a place for us to open up to what we really want in our lives.

I have no clue how all our stuff fit in that little one bedroom, but this year, we've decided to move into a smaller space once again, not so we can spend more, but so we can Live more.

It's not easy to get ahead when every savings jar is For something. Save up to buy this, or that... Shouldn't we just be saving?

How do I know that what I think I want today, will really still bring me happiness tomorrow?

Well, I have a tendency to exude details, so let's make a long story short:

We've decided to live in a really nice trailer.

But wait, isn't that just buying something else? How do I know it will still make me happy next year, or the next 5, 10 or 20?

Well you see, we're trying a different tactic this time.

A few months ago, I decided to reduce my hours to part time. First, 4 days a week, for 4 and a half hours. Now, I only work 3 days a week.

This gives me time to look after Kayla when she isn't feeling well, which, due to her health, is frequently. It allows me to help take care of chores and the dogs, actually have some free time, and better yet, it gives us more time to spend with family.

I always felt like I didn't have enough Time, Money or Energy. These were the things I Needed.

So I decided to get more of it. But you can't just "More".

I go through phases where I read a lot of books. A while back, I stumbled upon the concept of Wealth.

Acquiring Riches meant more, more, more, whereas acquiring Wealth seemed to mean Less, Less, Less!

I appreciate things a lot more now.

Basically, think of it like this: If you make $2000 a month, And rent costs $1350, Hydro costs $150, Insurance costs $150, Gas costs $100, New clothes maybe cost $100 or much more, A new game costs say $50 per month, Food costs like $400 or more, All of a sudden, we were over budget.

So to acquire Wealth, we had to cut some spending.

Riches = possessions + upkeep x energy x time. Wealth = income - expenses.

So basically, we could Somehow earn more, Or we could spend less. I decided on the latter.

I first stopped buying things and experiences. We went to the park. We dined at the free community meal. We created things to do from what we had available, and we avoided stuff we didn't need. Now I basically only buy stuff I Need, stuff that I Eat, and stuff that can make me money. Preferably, in all three categories!

So back ti the trailer. See, it turns out, we can pay $1350 for rent -which goes to our landlord- or we can pay $300-400 a month to finance a trailer we will own for life within 10-20 years. Mortgage THAT!

So we're going for it! Its an expense that is gonna save us a baseline of up to $1000 a month. A few hundred is going to go to Kay's sister to stay on her land, but eventually, we're gonna get our own land, and hell, we'll already own a home!

That means on day 1 after startup costs, we're gonna save like $200 a month, while every penny goes towards 1: Our financing 2. Our family.

That's $200 a month we can use to work on projects with similar goals.

Consider rising prices, called Inflation. In ten years, an apple could cost $5. Who knows. The price of wood has gone up a lot this year. Electronics, clothes, experiences, products... It's all set to go up and up, forever.

This is the model of society in which we live. So we're shifting to a new economy.

Think about this: What if almost everything you ate, used or did, was provided to you by yourself or friends and family? Wouldn't you save a lot? Wouldn't you contribute more to your community? Well, Yeah!

So I started gardening. Many reasons for that, including pesticides, soil degradation and nutrients lost in shipment, as well as all the other hands touching my food. (Not that I care) I'm more concerned about my health and the impact my needs are having on the planet.

So I started growing beans, and greens and herbs and hell, whatever I could get my hands on! I've spent money, but I've done a lot of it for free too! I'm a big fan of upcycing, and recycling day is a good time to find old water jugs and stuff to plant in. Not the Best, but it was a start!

I started making art out of sticks and string I found in the woods, buying on sale beads from my work to make into bracelets I could sell, and enjoy making, and spending more time with family.

And every bit we save, if we're careful, can just be used to save in another way. It doesn't have to be all scrimping any more, and neither does it have to be all working and spending.

For the first time in my life, I feel confident I can afford a home. Confident I can provide for my family, HAVE a family, be healthy, happy, and still have plenty of Time, Money and Energy.

In a way, it started with a more minimalistic approach. Now, I'm trying to build Wealth, instead of scrambling for riches I know I can't ever earn.

What will the next year bring? For many, instability, insecurity and insanity. For me, I am confident it will bring more Peace, Passion and Prosperity!

What will we do next? Now, We decide. Our options, are finally open.

Here's hoping you find the Wealth, Health and Happiness we all crave, but seldom receive!

Here's hoping, we can Own a little less, So we can Have, a whole lot more!

Thank you!