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Out with the old, In with the new.

I have always said that the things we own are only worth holding on to if they are things we use; if they are things that add value to our lives. To continue with this philosophy it is important to recognize when things no longer add value to our lives. When we no longer use them, or want to use them. It is important to have the mentality that all the material possession in our lives are replaceable. I would even go so far as to say that we should have the mentality that they are “in cycle.” By that, I mean that we that allow these things IN our lives with the knowledge that someday they will live out their usefulness and have to make their way OUT of our lives.

 

My favorite place in the entire world is NY city. I loooove Manhattan. The lights, the bustle, the buildings, the people, the events, the food, everything. It all just turns me on. As much as I am anti-excess consumerism myself, I like to see other people engaged in it; it’s like watching the scene of an accident. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, but I can’t look away. So I really love TIMES SQUARE.

 

As a result many years ago I acquired two beautiful prints to put on my walls. One of the NYC skyline just above the Brooklyn bridge at night, and the other a giant black an white one of the same skyline just below the Brooklyn bridge. I enjoyed gazing upon both these prints for many years. Recently however my enjoyment of them has diminished and been replaced with negative feelings. You see, the skyline photo was taken prior to 9/11 and therefore has the Twin Towers in the picture. Now that they have been replaced with our Freedom Tower, these pictures primarily serve as a constant reminder to me that true evil exists. I don’t want these feelings. So ……. out with the old.

Time to modernize. The small one is being replaced by a bright vivid print of Times Square, and the other by a new skyline picture taken on a bright sunny day from over Central Park (I think) with the Empire State Building dead center, and the Freedom Tower to the right. They are beautiful, and I am sure I will enjoy gazing upon them for many years to come.

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Life Axiom Number One: Things always have, and always will change. We must adapt to those changes to survive.

 

ChangeEverything in our world is in a constant state of flux. The reality around us is changing; technology is changing, fashions are changing, lifestyles are changing, family structures are changing, EVERYTHING IS CHANGING. Don’t blink, because you will miss it. This is an undisputed fact of life. As a result, we as people must adapt to these changes in order to stay current, be marketable, and ultimately to survive.

Being minimalists, we are in an ideal position to embrace this fact of life, and adjust to it. This is one of the beautiful things about living a life free of clutter and distraction; one can quickly transition to rid them self of outdated material, and incorporate something new in their life without having to take the time to clear space for it (mental, physical, and calendar space). The transition is unfettered.

With that being said, whatever our values are, I propose that we add “embrace change” to that list. By adding this to our list of values, we allow ourselves the flexibility to swap out, and swap in, other potential values to and from that list. Because make no mistake, there most likely will come a time when some of the things in life that we value will become obsolete, or be taken from us.

 

Example: In the early 1900’s America there were a plethora of proud business owners that were embracing the American dream and opened up their own pub. They were a proud people, and they took great joy in providing a service where the townsfolk could come visit them in merriment at the end of their work day and kick back a few suds while sharing laughs and tales.

Then prohibition passed.

Those bar owners that had “embrace change” on their value lists handled this much easier, and probably had a plan-B lined up. Those that didn’t were likely in a state of denial and rendered themselves obsolete.

 

Come to think of it, “embrace change” is the only item on our list of values that is fixed, other than the three core values of course (read my book). All other items are swappable.

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Listen to your children, they bring perspective to your life.‏

Time With FamilyOne of the many wonderful things about children is that they keep things simple, and focus only on life’s essentials. Their minds are not riddled with all the fluff and ridiculous concerns and priorities that we adult humans have built up over the course of time; most of these are complete fabrications anyway.

I recall once I had a small argument with my wife about how she loads the dishwasher. “The glasses always go on the top rack on the sides. this allows for better use of space and eliminates the possibility of a broken glass. Why do I have to keep reminding you of this?!” I said to her (we have broken a couple of glasses on the bottom rack before). “You are the one who has the job of washing the dishes anyway, be grateful I even put a few in!” We went back and forth for about a minute when my three year old daughter walked up to me and said “No fighting daddy!” “But mommy is doing it wrong” I said to her calmly. “So what?” my daughter said. She rendered me silent. Dead silent. Why? Because she was right, the quarrel was ridiculous. The situation is not worth the emotional price my wife and I were paying. It’s a frigging set of dishes, ‘Take them out of the bottom rack and put them on the top one if you don’t like it Anthony. It takes 10 seconds’ (my internal monologue).

What was I so fuming about: That my wife forgot to load that the top rack the way I like it, and that somehow I lose “face” by letting her ignore my method? Really? What is “face” anyway? It’s the excessive respect for authority desired to feed ego. So basically it’s bullshit. An illusion created by the insecure to give them some sense of control.

Here is three more fictitious concepts that us humans have created that have no bearing in reality, but somehow many of us based our lives around: pride, honor,  and propriety. There are more, but I can’t think f them now. These are concepts that man has created and built entire institutions around that are complete fabrications. furthermore, they all come from the same place …… ego. They hold value only because we all believe they do. So yes, they do have bearing in the realities we have created, but not in real reality, not in natures reality, not in Gods reality. Therefore these concepts should never jeopardize any of the important concepts in God’s reality: love, compassion, kindness, caring, peace, discovery, growth, passion.

“So what?” she said. So what, indeed. Children have not yet learned of these fictitious concepts, and even if they have, they have not yet applied value to them. Truthfully, I don’t believe they ever need to learn of them. After all, these concepts have literally done nothing for us as a species except cause suffering and death.

Listen to your children. Try to be like them. Unlearn all the BS this world has taught you. And most of all, try your best to preserve their innocence. Love and growth/passion are the only things that matter. They’re the only things that ever mattered. Our children know that. Why is it that we have lost that?