wants & living simply :: a manifesto for 2015

I've decided to start this new year with a manifesto. Not so much a resolution, but perhaps a way of living and thinking about our footprint on this planet and our daily actions in a different way. Of not guilting ourselves, but giving ourselves a way of re-thinking how we want to live. Of choosing at each moment what we want, how we want, why we want. 

I find new year's resolutions for me bring about a guilt that I never keep them, that I've let myself down by barely lasting a month or even a week in some cases. I'm hoping this manifesto can help with my ideal of how I wish we could/would live, but also be an easier way for our whole family to be part of it. Often these ideals are pushed by one member of the family (me!) and the others don't really want to go along with it.

So.... here it is. My new year manifesto ::

If we want it, we should question our want

If we do still want it, we should make it

If we can't make it, we should get it second hand

If we can't find it second hand, we should buy it ethically

If no one makes it in an ethical manner, we should re-think our want

.....

Only after this shall we consider any other options. 

I do hope that this is a good way for all the family members to live with our consumerism, want want want. To re-think how we fit within society - to re-think if our wants are based on other people's wants, or if they really are more of a need. To retrain ourselves to work out that often our wants don't fulfil what we think they will, that just as often we actually feel remorse or disappointment, after our wants are purchased. 

I also know that this is a journey we have be on for a long time. Compared to how many many others live, we do not give in to wants and whims and consumerism. My kids are always telling me 'it's not fair, everyone else has one'..... Well, my reply is we aren't everyone else. We don't go shopping for the sake of it, we don't buy new toys or books or clothes or anything just because. We do still consume, we get things that we don't necessarily need, but my hope is that we can live this year a little less and then next year a little less.

I am going to be practical in this way of being, not enforcing this in every instance of our lives. Also, I need to be aware that there will be things we need to buy that are wants. Within our business we have purchases of new items - these are necessary for our business, for our livelihood (and I may talk about this at a later stage). Our house-building will have new-purchase needs as well. 

But, hopefully this manifesto can help us all - the children and the adults - to live a happier life with less, to want less. To actively choose to want less, rather than feeling deprived on less. That's the ultimate - to stop the wants. To change the wants. To want less, to live with less, to live on less. 

I'll be sharing this journey here this year, and on my instagram feed as well. I aim / hope to be more present here on my blog. By sharing my story and ideas with you - perhaps you'll follow along. I do hope so, even just a little. 

I'm keen to hear your thoughts on new year resolutions, on manifestos, on consumerism, on wants and wants..... 

{Hi Amy - who asked when I was coming back! Hopefully now. xxx}