Day 299
My husband and I have been talking a lot about moving lately. Our kids are getting older; we don't have a basement; we don't have a yard and we feel like we need more space. Our apartment is far from being small (it's about 1300 square feet), but, for some reason, we're starting to feel tight in it. Is it because we both grew up in a house in the suburbs? Is it because society tells us that bigger is better?
The problem is we love our neighbourhood. We love it that we can walk everywhere. We have many friends who live close by. We know the butcher, the grocer, the fish store owner. If we move, we lose this feeling of community... but we gain space and tranquility (we live in the city and we would probably move into a more residential area). Moving would mean having to take the car even to go get milk. So, it's a real dilemma!
Last night, I stumbled upon a TED Talk by Graham Hill. First, he challenges us to remember that very often, when we travel, whether we stay in a hotel room or in a tent, we experience "the joys of less". We are forced to pack lightly and live in smaller spaces. According to him, these experiences demonstrate that we can find happiness away from all the "stuff" we tend to accumulate and from the bigger spaces.
Graham believes that we can tap into the joy of simplicity in our daily lives. In his TED Talk, he offers advice based on three principles: lessen debt, reduce environmental footprint, and avoid unnecessary stress. Watching that talk made me think about the insatiable desire our society tends to have for more and the strong belief we might have that more is better.
Maybe increased happiness comes from simplifying your life, by being minimalistic. Maybe, we have it all wrong! Maybe less is really better!
What is your opinion on the topic? Do you believe less is better?
Here is a link to that TED talk.
My husband and I have been talking a lot about moving lately. Our kids are getting older; we don't have a basement; we don't have a yard and we feel like we need more space. Our apartment is far from being small (it's about 1300 square feet), but, for some reason, we're starting to feel tight in it. Is it because we both grew up in a house in the suburbs? Is it because society tells us that bigger is better?
The problem is we love our neighbourhood. We love it that we can walk everywhere. We have many friends who live close by. We know the butcher, the grocer, the fish store owner. If we move, we lose this feeling of community... but we gain space and tranquility (we live in the city and we would probably move into a more residential area). Moving would mean having to take the car even to go get milk. So, it's a real dilemma!Last night, I stumbled upon a TED Talk by Graham Hill. First, he challenges us to remember that very often, when we travel, whether we stay in a hotel room or in a tent, we experience "the joys of less". We are forced to pack lightly and live in smaller spaces. According to him, these experiences demonstrate that we can find happiness away from all the "stuff" we tend to accumulate and from the bigger spaces.
Graham believes that we can tap into the joy of simplicity in our daily lives. In his TED Talk, he offers advice based on three principles: lessen debt, reduce environmental footprint, and avoid unnecessary stress. Watching that talk made me think about the insatiable desire our society tends to have for more and the strong belief we might have that more is better.
Maybe increased happiness comes from simplifying your life, by being minimalistic. Maybe, we have it all wrong! Maybe less is really better!
What is your opinion on the topic? Do you believe less is better?
Here is a link to that TED talk.
http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_less_stuff_more_happiness.html
If you like this post, pass it along. To receive posts as they're being published, you can either send me an e-mail at alina500daystohappiness@hotmail.com or join the facebook group: 500daystohappiness.
If you like this post, pass it along. To receive posts as they're being published, you can either send me an e-mail at alina500daystohappiness@hotmail.com or join the facebook group: 500daystohappiness.
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