It ties in very neatly with this book about habits I've been reading.
Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives
It's not just about learning how to get healthier habits in your life; it makes you ask curious questions about yourself.
For example:- Are you a simplicity lover or an abundance lover?
- Do you want to feel empty or to feel full?
- Do you want less or more? To shed or to acquire?
- Are you a finisher or an opener?
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| Works for me, but maybe not for you? |
I've never really thought about it before but I'm definitely Team Empty. I love how I feel when I fast. I endlessly strive (and fail) to have a clean, clear environment around me. I actively enjoy shedding things - be it pounds or possessions. At which point I pause and ponder...and people? Nice bit of plosive alliteration there, huh? Should I shed that too? Has anyone given up someone for Lent, I wonder? Isn't that a curious thought?
I hate half-finished things. I get satisfaction from emptying the last morsel from the pot (be it face cream or peanut butter) and getting rid of it. I like new things, of course I do - but I will never be a proper shopper. I just don't get a thrill from bags of new stuff. Every time I buy something new, I find my mind worrying about what I can shed in order to make space. And people? Some souls can endlessly gather friends but I have a limit on how many I can have in my life without feeling overwhelmed. It's quite a small limit too.
I think I've said it before but one of the happiest times in my life was when I had pretty well no possessions - just a small suitcase with a small amount of clothes. I lived in a room on a cliff, overlooking the Atlantic on the east coast of the USA, and it was heaven. I borrowed books; I listened to other people's music, I used a car and a bike when I needed them but they weren't mine. I knew nobody.
I am bewildered by choice, baffled by long menus, brutalised by browsing television or Internet, bruised by crowds.
If you are an abundance lover this will doubtless horrify you. You will always want more, not less. Be hooked on bustle and busyness, not silence and serenity. You will love plunging into something new and doubtless will have several things open and ongoing at the same time, be it jars of peanut butter (yes, it's a preoccupation) or projects. I twitch if I see two packets of the same thing open in the kitchen cupboard and my mind goes into meltdown if you throw too many large projects at me all at once. I hate parties.
I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong. How could I? We're just different. I just wonder, why is it that we have these differences? From where do they stem? I doubt it matters but still...
What do you give up? When do you give up? Why do you give up? Or do you just give in? Tell me.
