Yes, I am still not buying anything

I am almost one month into not consuming. Has it made me happier? I think it has started. I find myself enjoying my day more and not thinking that I need a new picture or a new shirt. I did just purchase a bike and I may have to get a new washer and dryer. My washer is not spinning my clothes out so it is still soaking wet when the cycle is done. I buy diapers and food but have not purchased clothing. My sister was telling my about her friend that is doing a operation appreciation with her kids. I think she might be onto something. She has given her kids a limited amount of clothing, toys, and a few things. I was thinking about that and what an easier way to live. After all do we really need 15 shirts and 8 pairs of pants? Or how about 10 pairs of shoes? Reagan wears about 3 pair of pants because she doesn't like the others. They just sit in her drawer. This has made me think that we all really live in excess. We have way too many things.

In Stake Conference on Sunday, Elder Porter of the seventy told a story of a woman coming in to his office as a Bishop saying she just wasn't happy. They talked about some changes she could make and met again in a month. When they met again she was beaming. Elder Porter asked what she had done to change to be happy. She told him she had stopped looking at catalogs. She said when she looked at them it made her realize how much more the people around her had and she wanted that. But when she stopped looking at catalogs she no longer wanted those things that other people had because she didn't see them. I thought, if it were only that simple. Well, maybe it is that simple, maybe if we could not look at the things that neighbors have or that is seems so much easier for them we would be a happier people. Those neighbors may be the ones struggling with debt or spiritual problems or a variety of other things that are unseen to us.

What I have realized by not buying anything is...we just don't need anything. Our basic needs are met by shelter, food, clothing, and most importantly love. The rest of the stuff we have is simply just stuff. It doesn't define us, make us a better person, make like easier, or make us happy. I am also learning I need different hobbies. If I needed time by myself I would go shopping. I don't need to shop for a hobby, I need to find something else to do, take an art class, go to the library, play the piano. The same sister, I called last week and interrupted her voice lesson. I thought that was a good thing. As we become mothers, he develop children not hobbies. I think that sometimes we get lost after we have children. We know what we need to do we just don't do it. We need to be active participants in our lives and not just in our childrens lives. So I am going to take an art class and maybe this summer I might take tennis or golf lessons. Let's all be proactive in doing things to enrich our lives and the lives around us. I think when we do this and stop looking at catalogs we will all be happier people.

Good Things:
1. Sisters
2. Developing talents
3. Making progress.

I hope this gets us all thinking.