Less = More

For a number of years, I’ve been increasingly fascinated – and simultaneously troubled by – a persistent contradiction I’ve noticed in my life: My knowledge and belief that more stuff doesn’t make me happy, on the one hand, versus my regular behavior acting as if it does.

I don’t think I’m alone either in the contradiction or in wanting to see my beliefs and actions in greater consonance. Which is why I found this 6-minute TED Talk by Graham Hill helpful. No, his particular example won’t suit all of us. But it may get each of thinking about how we can pare down our lives and discover that having less often equals experiencing more time, contentment, and joy.

This all is thoroughly biblical, of course, as one of the most beloved Scripture verses reminds us that, “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1). Yet living in a culture that barrages us with ads 24/7 that seek to make us want, it can be hard to hold on to our convictions. So I’ll be interested not only in what you think about this particular talk, but also in your sharing examples of when you trusted enough not to want and how you discovered on those occasions that less actually equals more.

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