"How much land does a man need?"

I am a typical materialist who gets adrenaline rush from shopping. I get drawn towards shop signs showing "SALE" like a moth to the flame and can't resist bargain hunts. As i am getting ready to relocate to a different country, I am now having to pick and choose what i need out of the mountainous mess inside my cupboard. The experience of downsizing a disorganized shopaholic's closet can be extremely stressful. Things just get piled up and seldom get thrown away. I wish I lived light, had fewer items and stopped acquiring. At the same breath that I make this wish, I also know that I won’t be able to resist the next beautiful bag I come across or the temptation of a shopping trip to Kolkata or Bangkok :-)

Few days back, I was quite inspired by an article published in the New York Times. Tommy Strobel, 31, former project manager for an investment management firm in California used to own a two bedroom condo, two cars and the usual closet full of stuff. She was on the  “work-spend treadmill”, the article writes. But one day she “stepped off the treadmill”.  Inspired by books and blog entries about living simply, Strobel and her husband, Logan Smith began donating their belongings to charity and tried living with 100 personal belongings. They sold off the condo, cars and even the TV.  After three years, they now live at a 400-square-foot apartment, ride cycles, own four plates, three pairs of shoes and two pots. Here’s a link to the article: http://tiny.cc/iclzq. Tammy writes a blog about her experience: http://rowdykittens.com/ and has also written books titled "Simply Care-free" and "Smalltopia". “Imagine what the world would look like if we pursued our dreams rather than more stuff. Pursue happiness and not more stuff” she writes on her blog.

While their story inspired me, I never got to practice the minimalistic lifestyle.Some day, may be. I am not ready yet to give up the temptations! One thing I have started doing though, whenever I travel, instead of collecting souvenirs or memorabilia of that place, I now try to gather experiences. I didn't get a mini Eiffel tower or a Monalisa merchandise from Paris, rather walked around & photographed the Parisians. I still cherish memories from that lazy afternoon/evening walk as one of my most treasured possessions and they make me happier than any material souvenir could. 

A concurrent thought about "how much is enough" occurred when i was comparing two contestants of the quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (who wants to be a millionaire). On one hand there was Prashant Batar, who was the first person on this year’s show to win and then loose 1 crore rupee. After winning 1 crore, he played a gamble, went for the 5 crore rupee jack pot question and ended up going home with only 3.2 lacs as he answered incorrectly. He could have safely skipped the show with  1 crore, but he went ahead and took the risk. Prashant is a share broker from UP.

On the other hand, there was Jyoti Chauhan from Rajasthan who is a constable. From the very first question, her nervousness was showing and a video clipping on her life revealed why. She earns 4000 rupees a month and has a loan to pay off. “I just want 2 lacs to pay off my loan” she says, "and if possible, some more for the operation of my daughter. just 2 or 3 lacs would be enough”. Notice how she didn't say - the more the better! She knew exactly how much she wanted and how much would be enough. During the quiz, she took help of the lifelines even though she knew some of the answers. That limited her opportunity of rising to a higher level and ultimately she went home with 12 lacs. "I don't want to risk it. How can I risk it?" she kept on stressing when the host asked her about why she used up all her lifelines so early in the game. "When you live in hardship, every rupee helps. Whatever amount I win today is going to come into use" she said.

I won't judge here whether Prashant was right or wrong to gamble with 1 crore rupees, as I would surely be biased and comment based on what I would have done if I were in his shoes. I was just looking at these two people, their decision making patterns and thinking how differently we define "enough". Does it depend on social strata? responsibilities? personalities? or is it based on how small or big our dreams are? Their stories reminded me of Leo Tolstoy's "How much land does a man need?". 

We are always taught to dream big. aspiration and  ambition are revered. "sky is the limit" has been ingrained in our value system. but does it also make us a bit restless as we race and forget to draw the finishing line? 

I love the Tata Safari advertisement titled "Reclaim your life". The ad starts with a guy perched inside a tent hanging from a cliff. What follow are breathtaking shots of snow-capped mountains, beaches, gushing rivers and such, interspersed with the following captions – “If you looked back on your life, what would you remember ? The corner office? The corporate power plays? The VIP lounge? What would you remember? Life goes by before you know it. Can you feel it pass you by?”

Endearing words! here's  the ad: