Practicing Poverty

As much as we would like to, there is no way for us to predict the future. At any moment we can be faced with a scenario in which we lose practically everything we have worked so hard for, and may never be in a position to get back to where we were. For many people, particularly people who have others dependent on them for their well being, this causes what I call ‘progression paralysis’. People can become so concerned with losing what they have that they stop trying to progress in fear that they will lose their perceived comfort and security.

Of course, there are also people who might use these circumstances as motivation to keep progressing in fear of ending up in these same unfortunate situations. These types of people can easily have the mentality that because the potential for losing everything is always there, no amount of things they can collect can protect them. As a result these people sacrifice their health, time, and relationships being driven by the fear of not having enough. No matter what side of the coin that you find yourself, the fact still remains, sometimes things happen that are completely out of your control, and that’s okay. You should never let these things cripple you into becoming the person that’s full of regrets or never satisfied.

One of the most important philosophies I practice on a regular basis comes from a stoic philosopher by the name of Seneca. Seneca had this idea of what has since been coined, ‘practicing poverty’, which emphasizes that since we can’t predict the future, we should purposely simulate the experiences we fear in order to gain perspective on their true severity. What we find is that the actual situation doesn’t usually hold weight in comparison to the fears that we conjure up about it. We think of the worst case scenario and plan our lives around this thought process when in reality it’s rarely as bad as we make it seem.

“Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with course and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: ‘Is this the condition that I feared?'” – Seneca

Being what some would consider a minimalist, my lifestyle tends to cater to this way of thinking naturally. Apart from my usual frugality and low debt, I regularly detach from technology and make a point to focus my time on simple things like deepening relationships with the people around me. Some days I will even go so far as to eat strictly rice, beans, fruits, and vegetables, all the while reflecting on how little I really need to survive. I can’t describe the level of deep appreciation I feel knowing that I have everything I need, so anything else I gain in life is simply a bonus.

Teach yourself to be resourceful

As easy as it is to be comfortable in an environment where we have an abundant supply of things, we should place more importance on our ability to sustain our quality of life with less. How many things have you paid someone else to do that you easily could have done yourself? Or if it’s something you couldn’t do yourself at the time, how much time did you spend, if any at all, researching the topics and actually trying to learn how to do it yourself? In every setback there is a lesson. Take the time to learn and grow from it. In this way, you always win. Even if you don’t realize it at the time.

BONUS: Seneca on the shortness of life.