This is Optimal Living Daily episode 3039, Living in the Land of Enough by Courtney Carver with becomingminimalist.com and I'm Justin Malek. Now let's jump right into today's post as we optimize your life. Living in the Land of Enough by Courtney Carver with becomingminimalist.com Quote, Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need but not every man's greed. Mahatma Gandhi.
It's no secret that we live in a land of plenty. Even in the midst of a struggling economy the average American household spends close to $3,000 dining out each year. Up to 40% of American households spend more money annually than they make and in 2009 the average American owed $8,400 in credit card debt. In the Land of Plenty we are constantly tempted with more ways to spend.
Bigger servings, buy one get one free offers, and endless opportunities to get rich quick. Most of us have never really understood what it's like to be hungry or want for a real necessity. Even with overflowing plates, closets full of clothes, and garages stuffed floor to ceiling with boxes of stuff that won't fit in our oversized homes, there's more evidence than ever before of people searching for more. Clearly spending more than enough to have more than enough does not equal happiness, not even the Land of Plenty.
What if we decided to embrace the idea of living in the Land of Enough rather than the Land of Plenty? What if we began to resist the temptation for more and instead became content with what we already have? How would our lives begin to change? If you've entertained the idea of living more simply but have never tried before, put it to a short test for a few days or weeks.
The benefits you see in the first few days just may be enough to inspire a lifestyle makeover. So here's a mini simple living boot camp to help you get started. Give it a try for 10 days and see what changes in your life. You may be surprised how much you enjoy living in the Land of Enough.
Seven ways to live in the Land of Enough. Number one, save your money. There's no need for credit cards or therapeutic shopping in the Land of Enough. There are also no overdraft fees or ATM charges.
Just put your cards away for 10 days. Then keep a list of purchases you would have made if you were using your credit card or if you were shopping for sports and take note of the money that you didn't spend. Number two, take your time. In the Land of Enough, you have time to breathe.
Stop trying to squeeze so much in. If you're always running late, falling behind, or trying to catch up, try slowing down. Cancel a few unnecessary appointments and don't schedule any new ones if you can help it. Then make a little time every day for solitude.
Number three, disconnect. Set a specific time to disconnect each day. In the Land of Enough, there's less need to be plugged in. If you can, commit to not using a computer after dinner or before lunchtime.
Be mindful of how much time you spend online and are virtually available. Protect your time and your mind. Number four, eat real food. Only eat food that you prepare.
Do not eat anything from a box, restaurant, or drive-thru. While you may choose to eat less by eliminating processed foods, you may find that you naturally eat just enough. Number five, make space. Clear out some space in your house.
You don't need to take on big purging projects during this time to make space. Simplify one room or even just the corner of one room and keep it as clean and clutter-free as possible. Even if the rest of your house is cluttered, this area can be a great reminder of how you might feel living with less. Number six, entertain yourself.
Unplug your TV and plan to enjoy your friends, family, the great outdoors, or a book you've been meaning to read. Do not spend time and money on expensive shows, travel, or recreational activities. While the Land of Plenty calls you to spend more money for entertainment, you already have enough right where you are. And number seven, say thank you.
As you go through these steps, you'll find enough time and space to be grateful. Through prayer, thank you cards, or a kind gesture, share your gratitude every day. There's no risk involved by visiting the Land of Enough. Bring your family with you and talk about what you like and don't like about the changes you've made.
Based on these discussions, you can decide what changes become a permanent part of your life. If you don't enjoy living without TV, then plug it back in. If saving money makes you miserable, go on a chair at the mall after your experiment. At the very least, you'll have taken some time to determine what is important to you and your family.
At the very most, you'll be happier and learn that enough really is enough. You just listened to the post titled Living in the Land of Enough by Courtney Carver with becomingminimalist.com, and I'll be right back with my commentary. Thank you to Courtney, guest writing on Becoming Minimalist. I typically narrate her work over on her website, that's bemorewithless.com.
I just realized that the different podcasts we have in our network align pretty well with some of her suggestions. So for number one, she mentioned to save your money. And our second ever show is Optimal Finance Daily, where Diana shares tips to not only save your money, but also earn more and basic investing. And then when she talked about eating real food, I couldn't help but think about my brother's podcast, Optimal Health Daily.
That topic of eating real foods comes up a lot. Even Optimal Relationships Daily, when she talked about planning to enjoy your friends and family when entertaining yourself. There's a podcast for everything. So if you're looking for a bit of a deeper dive into any specific category, definitely check out those shows too.
It'd mean a lot. And on that note, I mentioned this in our weekly email newsletter, but recently, Apple Podcasts has changed which episodes you get if you take a little break from this show. It really affected podcasters like us that have both daily episodes, but also lots of older episodes. And that's going to affect our numbers massively.
So any help we can get from you by sharing the show with someone in any way, online or in person, it'd be greatly appreciated. I've been set up giveaway a copy of our workbook to you for free if you help us out and share the show. Just let me know. If everyone listening just got one other person to follow or subscribe, it would have a huge impact.
So thank you for doing that. I'll leave it there for today, wishing you a great start to your weekend if you're listening in real time. And I'll see you tomorrow where your Optimal Life awaits.