Curl Up

I love the way nature often mirrors, teaches, and encourages things we humans feel internally but may not have words or motivation for. This photo of a leaf curling in upon itself brings to mind the ability (and necessity) we all have to search inward for soothing, comfort, and rest. For whatever reason, the delicacy of this leaf combined with its flexibility and strength speaks to me.

Inspiring Documentary: Minimalism

I watched a really inspiring documentary last night on Minimalism. Yes, sure, there were the "Tiny House" people and the people who wear only the same 5 articles of clothing each day, but there were also real-life examples of how to live mindfully with awareness of the things we own and use. I thought the presentation of appreciation for the materials we own rather than an endless hunger for more, more, more STUFF was very cool. It reminded me of the hungry ghost concept from Chinese Buddhism where a certain kind of spirit eats and eats and never satisfies its torturous hunger pangs.

The documentary wasn't necessarily encouraging that we throw away the things we have or stop buying all together, it was recommending that we keep possession only of items we truly enjoy in our lives--materialistic goods that contribute to a happy, meaningful life.

The film ended with the takeaway of: "Love people. Use things. Not the other way around."

You can check out the website for the narrators Josh and Ryan (pictured above) at http://www.theminimalists.com and you can find the documentary on Netflix called Minimalism.