How little is enough?

Yesterday I met a happy man with very little.

One day he decided he was too much of an "anchor," and decided to get rid of it all. Discarding/recycling everything from clothes to old letters, he kept only a bicycle with some spare parts, a backpack with a few items such as a thermos he had found, some photos, music, and a pair of shoes. What he has left is him (and a slender self, at that).

"Perhaps I went overboard getting rid of everything," he admitted, but smiled when I asked him how it's going. "Good, I feel provided for. There are so many things around...and they're accessible when I need them."

The weight, the sighs, the head shakes I see when clients, friends and family speak of their lives. The overwhelm! Yet this man speaks calmly, walks gracefully, travels lightly, and enjoys each meal he eats. He is not picky or worried.

Were we all to clear even a tiny bit of the things weighing us down, how much lighter our steps would be, how much higher the quality of our days.

Here's to the clarity and peace of mind that comes with less.