On this day when most North Americans are either filling their bellies or filling their shopping bags, let me provide your brain with a little food for thought. This quote comes from Joshua Becker of the website Becoming Minimalist.
Much the way I always find a diet easier to stick with when I’m surrounded by like-minded folks, I spent most of this year surrounding myself with the blogs and sites and Twitter feeds of persons who are content with having less, in an attempt to feel that way myself. If/when you need to cleanse your palate from all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday hype about how much you can buy for how little, consider sampling one of these sites and see how having (or just desiring) less can make all of life easier to digest.
Center for a New American Dream
Shannon Hayes (the Radical Homemaker)
Know that however you spend your day, I am thankful for you and the conversations you’ve inspired me to have this year – sometimes in my head, often in this blog, but also with my family. What I share here makes it easier to stay focused on what I want to share and do and be in every aspect of my life.
For years now, my husband and I have tucked our boys in bed with the same bedtime routine, which includes letting them know how much we love them and how blessed we feel to have them in our lives. Then I sing to them “Count Your Blessings” by Irving Berlin. Because he wouldn’t dare miss an opportunity to embrace his tween-ness, our oldest son often sighs and groans, saying, “Why do you always sing this?” which is the cue for our youngest son to say, “Because she wants us to learn it.” And I do. But more importantly I hope they’ll live it.
When I’m worried and I can’t sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep
Counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep
Counting my blessings
I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you’re worried and you can’t sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you’ll fall asleep
Counting your blessings