Simplify

For the last month or so I’ve been on a personal quest to try and simplify my life. I’ve felt a constant sense of restlessness for a while. I had trouble sleeping at night for several months in a row. I would, almost literally, lay awake until an hour before my alarm went off. Part of it is because my life has gotten increasingly more hectic and also because I’ve finally gotten to a point where corporate America makes me sick. And when I look around I’ve realized that we’re utterly and completely surrounded by corporate monopolies and money hungry gluttons. And society is frantically grabbing for all it can while we blindly follow the leader over the edge of the cliff.

Let me back up a bit. Keli works two part time jobs and I work one full time job, plus part time with her parents, plus a not-so-occasional side job doing consultation. Because our schedules differ so much Keli and I have an unofficial “date” at 10pm Monday and Tuesday nights on the futon after she gets home from work to watch a couple TV shows. This gives her time to unwind from work and gives me time to unwind from working all day and then taking care of Bailey. We watch the Real World/Road Rules Challenge on MTV™ on Monday nights and on Tuesdays we watch The Real World on MTV™. Not because we necessarily like these shows but because they’re on and they’re amusing.

We’d usually get suckered into watching episodes of the Newlyweds with Jessica Simpson and Nick Lechey. We’d sit and watch two celebrities live their live in the lap of luxury and complain because they have to be driven an hour away to do an interview. So there we’d be: sitting on our duffs, watching shows such as those and more often than not, eating some food.

And then one day it just hit me: why are we wasting our life watching this crap? I’m not learning anything and it’s not benefitting me in anyway, shape or form. In fact, the irony of it is instead of using my treadmill (like I should be) I sit on the couch next to it, my arse in front of the TV watching people get arrested, fight and have all sorts of drama.

And that’s when I realize that the things that infect my life the most are those addictive stimulants sold to me by Corporate America. I know I’m not forced to watch TV. Or eat that Double Cheese Burger, large fries and a Coke™ at McDonalds™. I know I’m not forced to spend my money on frivilous things. But in a sense I feel compelled to partake because I think that’s what I need to be happy. Part of this awakening – if you will – has been my recent reading into Buddhism. I’m not going to sit here and say I agree with everything Buddhists believe but whether you agree with their views or not you cannot deny that there seems to be a certain way about Buddhists that make them seem so content. They live a lean lifestyle and their consumption is only that which they require.

Last night instead of watching TV we went for a walk and then went and got some ice cream. And it was nice. I detached myself from my computer and my TV. I got exercise and it was great. So on my quest to simplify my life, my first step is to cut back as much consumption of the crap that Corporate America throws my way. Because, in the end, it doesn’t matter. It’s just stuff that can be turned to ash in a fire or stolen in a robbery. The car I drive, movies I buy, games I play, all the toys I have don’t define me as a person. I still like buying things but I don’t do it like I used to. I don’t feel the need to spend like I used to.

I’m not trying to be self-righteous or sound like I’m better than everyone else, but honestly, aren’t you sick of it all? Aren’t you sick of brand names and slogans and comercialism? I sure am. And you know what? I can sleep at night again. I don’t feel constantly edgy because I’ve learned to curb my consumption – not just with food but with comercialism… I’ve banished the “need” to surround myself with useless garbage.

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