I don’t have a TV, so normally I wouldn’t watch. But through PFBloggers like Boston Gal, Jane Dough, they keep me alert to TV trends I’d normally miss. I can watch clips for free online. Watch some of these clips. They’re grotesque. It’s like a car accident on the side of the road. You can’t help but look. I try not to judgemental because debt happens to everyone, and yet…
These people are pretty crazy. They’re liars. They’re cheats and gluttons. (350 pairs of jeans?! Are you freakin’ kidding me?) It’s frightening. I’m amazed that they aren’t deathly afraid of the poorhouse. They just keep on digging their debt hole deeper. That hole is their grave! They all seem to live in the suburbs. Haven’t they seen an unwashed homeless person recently? Do they really want to lose the roof over their heads just to keep a freakin’ piano in the house and an SUV in the driveway? The beggars on my commute remind me that I am only one or two financial disasters away from being homeless on the street.
Oprah talks about the relationship between money and emotions, one of my favorite topics. Jean Chatzky mentions that it’s desire that makes us keep up with the Joneses. Now I’m not Buddhist, but there is something to the foundation of that religion. Buddhism says that strife comes from desire, therefore you should desire less. I strive to desire less always. Be humble in your desires and needs. I really believe in the Shaker melody, ‘Simple Gifts’. (Aaron Copeland lovingly uses it in his classic master work, Appalachian Spring
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd.
I know I did a very bad thing by buying my lovely Lilly Pulitzer skirt last month. It was feeding a coveting feeling I’d had for years for her work. But I know that I never have to buy another Lilly again. Part of curbing desire is subjugating it. Control it, don’t let it control you.
It’s all about mind and money. The biggest thing to getting out of debt is spending less. I make enough, but I spend it. I have only my mortgage and my credit card as debts now, but I know my credit card spending always seems to creep back up. It’s the biggest struggle I have in my finances. To live more simply is possible. In this upcoming week, I’m going to try and find some websites about living simply and share them with you.
[The best free vocal recording I could find was here. Scroll down for it. It's quite good. All the rest of the recording clips I could find on the lousy interweb were plodding renditions and not uplifting as it should be.]
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I am amazed at how many of the families on Oprah’s show don’t realize HOW they got into debt or don’t know HOW MUCH they owe. I’m not one to judge either but ignorance does not excuse you from personal accountability.
Also, when you said, “…strife comes from desire, therefore you should desire less. I strive to desire less always. Be humble in your desires and needs.”
All I could do was smile. I agree wholeheartedly. This is a fabulous post!