“He seriously Rube Goldberged that small house”
Rube Goldberg as an adjective defined is –
Doing something simple in a very complicated way, that is not necessary”
This is one of my fave bands OK GO and a beautiful example of meaningless complication
We’ve all done it – thought and dreamed about things that we will never really do because we make them far too complicated. We start with a simple idea of something like downsizing, but then start rationalizing, in our irrational way, and repeat things to ourselves like – “I need all my stuff” or “I could never give up my 150 shoe collection” or “I’ve worked so hard for my big beautiful house and there’s no way I’ll give it up now”. Sound familiar?
Living small is all about simplicity and for those of us who truly want it, we can attain the freedom to have more control over our lifestyle, one small step at a time. Managing less, makes life easier – money will not – more stuff will not. Dig deep and think about the last “stuff” you bought. I’m not talking essentials like food and wine, I’m talking about “stuff” – the latest phone, the best and biggest flat screen, even a new car. Most of us do need those, but how long did the real joy of ownership last? There’s always a new, better phone, TV, and car so yours is already outdated just about the same time the joy of ownership wears out – one month, maybe 2 tops. Always wanting the latest and greatest leads to constant unhappiness and un-fulfillment -but we make sure to keep Rube Goldberging our lives.
So we go on with our delicious desire for “stuff” and wishing we had more money to buy more stuff as our lives spin out of control with the chase to try and find happiness with more and More and MORE! I’ve never seen it work. All that said, we need a certain income to maintain a healthy, modern lifestyle. Once you can afford a decent car, pay your utility bills, pay for your home without worry every month, have some insurance, and maybe afford a nice vacation every now and then, I would say you are there. More than that will just complicate life. Ever watch “The Lottery Changed My Life”? Many folks can’t handle wealth – some are OK, but they were generally happy before they won and just continued to be happy with the ability to travel whenever and wherever they want. I gotta admit, that would be sweet but there are ways to do that on the cheap by living smarter.
Most of us will never become “wealthy” yet we strive for wealth instead of happiness. Small homes can give happiness to those of us in the bottom 99% through the pride of ownership of your own home without going in debt for 30 years. Yes, they are more expensive per square foot, but the overall cost is less up front and throughout the life of the structure.
Like I’ve mentioned before, it’s like giving yourself a raise without making more money. I’ve met lots of very unhappy, homeowners with big mortgages and big houses, but I don’t think I’ve heard of an unhappy Tiny homeowner. Most of us are pretty happy to share and quite proud of our homes, be they a Tiny Piney on wheels or a 900SF Shiny Tiny Mansion 😉
Over the next few weeks we (mostly Sue) will be doing a step by step “Tiny Dream Journal” to help you start those small steps towards Tiny living. More to come on that soon ~
Reblogged this on Thea's Blog.