What I Want

     I just finished watching "Minimalism," a documentary featuring various people who've taken to that kind of lifestyle. While I agree with the message of the film, I didn't find it terribly captivating, informative, or even new. The gist of the film is that our current rate of consumption is unsustainable, it doesn't make us any happier to have more belongings, and that we should be more deliberate about our lifestyles (to save our planet, raise our kids right, make it easier to pursue meaning, etc. etc.). Go figure, right? Unfortunately, the funny thing about people is that we can think about things when it's intellectual - when something exists just in our minds or as a discussion - but when it comes time to connect our reality (our actions) to our desired outcomes... we fall flat. Some prime examples are:

1. Wanting to look/feel good but not having the discipline to make it happen.
2. Wanting to conserve the environment but going on to consume (food/clothes/plastics)
3. Desiring simplicity but refusing to release all the clutter (physical/social/mental or any kind of clutter, really)

     That's not why I started writing, though. One of the messages I received from the film was to consider what it is I want in life. So I figured I'd set aside a few minutes, think about it, and write it out. The list is short enough where I don't feel greedy, broad enough so I feel it covers my bases, and just long enough to make me think that I've put some careful consideration into it. So, here are the things I want in life. Not just now, or tomorrow, but ideally, for the rest of my days.

1. The basics
   a. Food to sustain me
   b. Roof over my head
   c. A warm bed to sleep in
2. Love (both to and from)
   a. My family (which I feel I've always had, thank God)
   b. My partner (which I'm still surprisingly amazed by)
   c. My friends (what's there even left to say after all these years?)
   d. My community (my coworkers, students, their parents, and just all the people I see on a regular basis)

     That's not too much to ask, is it? So long as this post is around, I guess I can always check in and see how far I've come and whether or not I've stayed true to my desires. In the meantime, it might do you some good to sit down and think about what you want in life. & of course, writing it out somewhere (journal, blog, scratch paper) will make it that much more meaningful.