My Year of Poverty

You know what sucks about being poor? You can't buy the stuff you want. That having been said, poverty has it's benefits. I've done quite a bit of soul searching lately and always try (but sometimes fail) to put a positive spin on things. I think I've learned more this past year than I did the first 40 years of life combined. One lesson stands out above all the others: Stuff is just Stuff. Why was that one so hard to learn? Why was it so hard to let go of THINGS? Ever notice that your fear of the unknown can paralyze you? I lived in that fear for so long that I lost sight of the truly important things. Once I let go and took a leap of faith, I found the beauty of the every day that had been lost to me for so long. Yesterday, I nearly cried tears of joy when I cut open a cantaloupe and found it to be utterly perfect. A 2.00 cantaloupe. A good cycle class followed by a coffee with a friend bring me more joy than a new Kate Spade bag. Learning to find happiness in simplicity is an easy task for some, but for me it was tricky. I've always been a late bloomer.....but so glad I'm now getting the change to experience it. Don't get me wrong, some days I still wish I had a new car or a giant blingy diamond.....but I always try to remind myself of all the wonderful "things" I do have and am usually able to forget the other stuff. I never again want to live through what I have lived through over this past year, but at the same time, I would not trade it for the world :)