Being Content

“When someone steals another's clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor.” ― Basil the Great

A few days ago I was in a store buying a towel to replace one that needed replacing, and I overheard an interesting conversation.  The mother was trying to get the daughter to get an extra set of sheets to take to college.  She told the sales lady that her daughter was a minimalist and didn't understand why she needed to get another set of sheets.  She was hoping to get some support from the sales lady to get her daughter to buy another set of sheets.  The sales lady shared her opinion and of course she had plenty to say in favor of buying more.  Why would she do otherwise when she stands to benefit from the sale?  The college aged girl stood her ground and simply said that she had used one set of sheets for years and they worked fine.  She didn't want or need another set.  She could wash them and put them back on the bed.  I was very impressed by her maturity at her age, being willing to skip buying something because she didn't need it.

Do we really think about whether we really need something when we purchase it?  Are we getting along just fine the way we are now?  Being content is just that.  You don't go shopping for the short lived high it brings.  You shop when you need something.  Look in your home and closets.  Do you really need more?  Can you be satisfied with what you have already?

Focusing on what we have rather that what we don't have helps us to live a life with more contentment.