Cultivate a Healthy Poverty

I really liked this article, I don't read many of the articles that get passed around on Facebook but this one caught my attention "Secret To Squashing Anxiety This Year". It seems that anxiety is running rampant these days. Minds dominated by fear. It may not be as recognizable in everyone, or as strong at all times, but I hear about it everywhere. What is the cure? Im not sure I would use the word "cure" for anything having to do with the human condition here on earth. But relief, hope, medicine, that I do believe in. 
Gratitude or the adoration of Christ is what this article says. And I agree.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2015/01/the-1-secret-to-squashing-anxiety-this-year/

But practically how does that look? Those answers always irritate me. They sound so simple But what does it look like when your circumstances don't seem to warrant adoration. What about when life is really hard, or lonely, or unfair?

I am more and more convinced that it is in narrowing our vision and really honing our senses in on the "little things" that we can begin to feel thankful and adore. I love this quote from "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" by Annie Dillard. The context is she is telling a story about how when she was a young girl she would hide pennies for people to find every where she went. Just because she thought it would bring the finder joy to find a penny! 

“The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside by a generous hand. But- and this is the point- who gets excited by a mere penny? But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted in pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days.” 

In our world of abundance I can see that we have been robbed of this great gift. The great gift of healthy poverty. I know that living simply and smaller is trending right now, (do you get the tiny house fascination? Not sure I'm all in yet. Isn't the tiny house thing just a given in Southern California for most people under 40 with kids) but why? I think it is because innately people are realizing what excess does to the soul. It doesn't satisfy. It doesn't heal. In fact in impoverishes. Now I'm not saying sell all your possessions or move into a tiny house, for goodness sakes I moved to the midwest and our old condo in California could fit inside our new houses garage, ha! But in your heart and in your soul, cultivate a healthy poverty. Look at each tiny thing as a blessing. My kid took a great nap, thank you Lord! Choose to see blessings everywhere. Choose to feel rich when you find the pennies in your day. And then express it outwardly. Sing out loud, say it out loud, your mind may just start to believe what your mouth says. 

I thought these pictures of us at the Mall of America (a space completely lacking in simplicity, where more is more and bigger is better) would provide some comic relief to my words : ) Some days when it is miserably cold you just have to go out and see the giant legos and eat a ridiculous amount at the Rainforest cafe and spend way too much a Lindt Chocolate. Its all about balance right?