Thinking Out Loud

I love getting rid of stuff. We spent yesterday and today going through our rooms and getting rid of stuff we really don't need, use, or want. The kids are as jazzed about it as I am. In fact, we just returned from dropping off a mini-van full of stuff to the DI and dumpster. Our house still has much to purge, but we are making progress. I told the kids, "Wouldn't it be wonderful to get rid of all these dishes?" Seriously, why do we need so many of everything. Does any one person really need more than one bowl, one plate, one spoon, one knife, one fork, and one cup? I believe when you have less, you care more. Meaning, if I only had one bowl, I'd treasure and take care of it. I'd make sure to clean it after each use and I'd put it away. I'd be careful not to break it. And the other cool thing about having less is that when you have less, you need less. For example, if we all only had one of every dishware, we'd not need a dishwasher. We would eac...

I just heard a story I want to always remember. It's about a woman who lived a Tao-centered life. She came upon a precious stone while sitting by the banks of a running stream. She placed the highly valued stone in her bag. The next day, a hungry traveler approached the woman and asked for something to eat. As she reached into her bag for a crust of bread, the traveler saw the precious stone and imagine how it would provide him with financial security for the remainder of his life. He asked the woman to give the treasure to him, and she did, along with some food. He left, ecstatic over his good fortune and the knowledge that he was now secure. A few days later the traveler returned and handed back the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he told her. "Although I know how valuable this is, I'm returning it to you in the hopes that you could give me something even more precious." "What would that be?" the woman inquired. "P...