Last week I had the experience that is the downfall of many a resolution. I got bored. I started questioning why I was doing it at all. I entertained thoughts like "It does not make any difference" and the classic "This is dumb."
Of course, this coincided with a want. I honestly do not remember exactly what it was. A sippy cup? A plastic spray bottle? It was something that I did not want to buy used and that I believed I needed. I managed to hold firm to No-New, and survived. Without the item.
I was left wondering, "What do I need?" And what do I want. If I adhere to a narrow definition of need (i.e. what is necessary for my survival), I find two things. First, that I already have far more than I need. Secondly, that my only ongoing needs are for sustenance and energy. What then, if we expand the definition of need to include comfort? Stimulation? Joy?
As with most dichotomies, I believe that the need-want split is limiting and ultimately useless.In examining my own consumption, I am finding it more helpful to be patient, to let the want sit for a little while and see what happens. If it stays, perhaps there is something that I already have that can be re-purposed. Or maybe my neighbor can lend it to me. Or it may be available at a local resale shop.
Once instant gratification is denied and the original urge of desire has passed, most wants get very quiet.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Report Card: January 2012
In January I purchased two non-edible items. I bought a new roll of masking tape at a regional grocery store and a used ball for my daughter at a non-profit resale shop that recycles any profit into vouchers for those in need.
A-
I feel good about the ball, especially given how much my daughter enjoys it. The masking tape is more problematic. In hindsight, I might have been able to find some at the Habitat-for-Humanity store. More importantly, the masking tape brings up the bigger issue of items that are inherently not reusable or reparable. Ballpoint pens, toothbrushes, and windshield wiper blades are other examples. I foresee a set of parameters for making such purchases more mindfully. Stay tuned.
A-
I feel good about the ball, especially given how much my daughter enjoys it. The masking tape is more problematic. In hindsight, I might have been able to find some at the Habitat-for-Humanity store. More importantly, the masking tape brings up the bigger issue of items that are inherently not reusable or reparable. Ballpoint pens, toothbrushes, and windshield wiper blades are other examples. I foresee a set of parameters for making such purchases more mindfully. Stay tuned.
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