More than enough

This past Shabbat was Parashat Emor, which is a section of Leviticus about different laws for Shabbat, holidays, & so forth. Rabbi S focused on the section of harvesting & it’s still with me several days later. Leviticus states when you harvest your grains, leave the outside edges alone for the poor to have. Also, whatever you gather together if anything drops off, leave it for the poor as well. The idea here is that you have more than enough. No one needs to be excessive. Leave the extras for someone else who is in need. You have plenty.

Given that I’m in this phase of my life where I wanna use what I have first & KonMari the shit out of my house, I felt like it was very timely. I don’t need to be excessive & I know that I have more than enough.

As an American, we tend to be greedy. We’ve got a bad case of wanting the best & wanting it yesterday. For some reason, we believe bigger & newer is better (thanks to the 80s economic boom but whatever). Our constant discontentment is feeding the insatiable beast. It’s a bottomless pit. The only cure is gratitude, humility, & resourcefulness.

Let’s face it – if we were honest with ourselves, we would realize the source of our unhappiness isn’t because we don’t have the latest & greatest. No, those are just distractions that are trying to fill the void. Just like food, alcohol, TV, or any other vice, excessive spending is an escape, a way to avoid pain. It’s never fun to deal with our issues. Believe me, I know. However, as painful & as difficult as it may seem, you come through it much happier, much healthier, & with a new sense of vigor.

I’m not perfect in any way. I need a lot of work. But I can look back & see how far I’ve come & realized I have a lot to be thankful for. I have love from family & friends, a warm home, clean clothes, good food, & wifi. 😉 I can leave the edges alone. I can give to those in need because I have plenty. I have & I am more than enough. ❤