Live more simply,

so that others may simply live. This saying has been in our collective conscience for some time now. It doesn't seem to have much pull.

We are a society that does not teach its children spending habits. We are a society that needs to teach its administration spending habits on a national level and state levels as well. The setting by example tends to be the only trickle down theory that exists in our society today. Where is this?

As more people are beginning to buy organic this will bring pricing down. Even WalMart has organic food these days. Perhaps our city planners will concede that it is a bit smarter to rezone some areas for retail/housing mixes. As developers nationally create new large scale developments or planned communities it should be required more that the necessary infrastructure be planned accordingly. We must begin to make these new villages with 1000 homes plus to place a certain amount of retail space within the development. I see so many developments that are "only" 15-20 miles from WalMart, Target, Home Depot and such. This continued mentality maintains the need for people to drive in their cars to get everything. This perpetuates the limiting time factors in people's lives. The then do not have the time to spend for themselves or their families. This perpetuates the eating habits of the society which helps to create the obesity numbers. This perpetuates the declining health of our society. This perpetuates...

What can be done?

Live more simply so that you can simply live! Upon the act of selfishness, perhaps we will find a means to get something done. If we buy more local fresh organic food we help to eliminate the massive packaging that spoils our landfills. This act alone will make us more healthy overall and reduce the emissions from creating and shipping such processed and packaged products.

Consume less is another thought. I remember shopping with a family member a few years back as we manouvered through WalMart. This was my first experience of that store. As the conversations carried on, while looking and conversing in one direction the hands were simply grabbing "things" from the shelves and placing them in the cart. There were times when there was literally no comprehension of what was going into the cart. It was that we were in the toy section for stocking stuffing so it really didn't matter on the grand scale. My feeling, however, was the thought of how much packaging and garbage this action will create. These are toys that will be used for 2 hours at most and discarded. I began to remove some of these items while the discussions continues and replaced them back on the shelves and nobody was the worse for it.

We are a society that wants. While we want can be a good thing. This can drive our economy and bring in new ideas and technologies for the betterment of us all. This can also become a crutch for the laziness that is penetrating our society. Drive through, remote control everything, automated this and that. I am not saying that we should not create and posses some of these items. However, one must become manageable to ones own life and its needs and possessions. When purchasing items that will be garbage in a few hours for a gift by using credit to which one might take three years to pay off is not responsible.

I do not wish to lose track of my point. The point being if we begin to think more about our needs and personal output things can change. Don't believe everything on the television. Just because you see an add for some colored pill doesn't mean you need it. Meditate. Consume less. Think more. Learn more. Borrow things and get to know your neighbors. Drive less. Exercise. Eat fresh.

My wife says a mantra that "time expands to meet my needs." As she believes it it shows up in her life. So many of our society continually state that there is not enough time in the day for family, work, self. But, no one seems to do anything different to create it. If you keep doing the same thing you will keep getting the same results. Change is good.