I returned two days ago from traveling more than 10,000 miles in 10 days and visiting one of the most beautiful, wealthy places on earth (a valley in Switzerland). I skied, ate great food, sipped expensive (and good) coffee on the ski pistes.
Yesterday I got home and found that the faucet of the sink in our kitchen is kaput. It would usually cost $100 to replace this. But my friend Jim - who is a contractor - is remodeling someone's kitchen and can get me their old faucet for free. What a deal!
I am a master at rationalizing my lifestyle, as we all are. I am a missionary who raises financial support and I live a higher standard of living than 90% of the world's population. I justify it by saying that I live a lower standard of living than many other missionaries.
If this is not crazy-making I don't know what is!
Well I am trying to formulate and live within some core values around simplifying life and maximizing it (especially about material resources). I have not figured it all out yet, but here is 3 things I am wrestling with:
1. If I can do without something I will try to. I want to always be asking, "how can I simplify my life?";
2. I hope to appreciate more and more the luxuries afforded my family and me (whatever they may be, great and small);
3. I want to maximize every resource - by using it up, fixing it up, or giving it up.
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