Tiny House Magic

Check out this great post that Laura Moreland over at Tiny House Ontario wrote for Four Lights:

http://tinyhouselistings.com/a-tiny-house-phenomenon-the-magical-side-effect/?utm_source=New+Properties&utm_campaign=9e8be5b9f8-BLOG_RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email

I think it's a great read.  I love this statement, "Then, I pondered about the thought that goes into planning what exactly we can live without. I thought about what I wanted as a child: food, friends, family and a fort and I started to realize that I was back at the beginning. As I focused more on the issue, I came to theorize that I had reduced myself backward down to the basics...."

I think it really drives home the point about needing less to be happy.

It also has a close correlation to a line of thinking that we followed in my career transition workshop last year.  One of our exercises was to think back in time and to remember what activities made us happy as children.  And then of course the next natural question is, "Why did I stop doing those things?"

I think part of the answer to that (and this is not news...) is that as adults we conform to social expectations.  (Most of us really loved spending time in our forts in the woods, but society frowns upon them as an adult residence!) And conforming to those social expectations burdens us with bills and responsibilities to achieve material goods that do not necessarily make us happy, along with sucking up all of our time during which we could pursue hobbies (perceived as less important as the money generating activities.)  Whew!  But buying the house, and buying the car and accepting that 9-5 office job -  all of those things make people around us comfortable, because they have done that, and it validates to them that "that what successful people do." But are we happy? 

My goal is to make one or more of my hobbies into my job.  Again, referencing my career transition workshop,  I identified those activities during which I lost track of time - when I forget to eat, I forget to check email, I am outside and have forgotten my phone indoors -- those activities.  One ore more of those will be my new job.  Ohhh, the possibilities.