Comments on: In Need of No Needs

By: Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:13:24 +0000

Jean, Do you find a trampoline a good way to stimulate creativity? I'm always tempted to jump on one when I see one, but I fear it would blow out my knee once and for all. Joanna, perhaps one day you could give us an update on how life is blossoming for you in your new home ...? Brad Shorrs last blog post..Never a Dull Moment - 3 News Items from Word Sell

By: Joanna Young

Joanna Young — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:13:39 +0000

Brad, yes it was hard. Took me about a year to pluck up the courage and get things in place. But somehow I always knew that I *would* do it, because of the sense of necessity that went alongside it. Joanna Youngs last blog post..What I’ve Learned About Writing From My Friends Online

By: Jean Browman--Cheerful Monk

Jean Browman--Cheerful Monk — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:04:33 +0000

I've always lived simply because too much stuff is distracting. I went for years without watching TV, but now I tape some programs and watch them while I exercise on my NordicTrack treadmill or jog on my trampoline. It works for me. Jean Browman--Cheerful Monks last blog post..Making Hay While the Sun Shines

By: Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:16:49 +0000

Joanna, Ulla, you seem to have a good and healthy balance between material and non material needs. Ulla, if I were going to get rid of one possession only, it would be the TV. Not quite ready to take that leap yet. Joanna, was it hard for you to make the leap and leave your job? I was in a similar situation and it took a long time to sort things out. Brad Shorrs last blog post..In Need of No Needs

By: Ulla Hennig

Ulla Hennig — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 08:54:24 +0000

Brad,
your idea of Wandering and Wondering is great!
Regarding needs: There are needs which are “material stuff” – just like this laptop I am just writing on, and the printer, the access to the internet, and my digital camera. I could not do without that. Of course, my flat. Some clothes. A CD player, radio set. Books (I avoid to buy books – I fetch them from the library). The TV set (okay, I could do without it for a few days, but not in general).
But immaterial needs are much more important to me: the need to have good friends, to have interesting talks, to care for my health, to feel the wind in my hair and on my cheeks.

Ulla Hennigs last blog post..In the Neighbourhood

By: Joanna Young

Joanna Young — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:14:33 +0000

Hi Brad

I like the idea of Wandering and Wondering too. Your posts are always thoughtful so I think this will be a neat fit, especially for those who like to have a good blether, or sit around chewing the fat…

I find the idea of getting rid of ‘needs’ hard… easier to think about shedding some material things. For example I stepped away from a very well paid job and gave up on a lot of material goods as a result… but it was mainly driven by things I felt I needed – the freedom to think, to live more creatively, to travel, to wander and wonder a fair bit.

Maybe need isn’t the right word for this but it was a very strong impulse, a drive maybe, to live in a different way. Not because I felt I ‘should’ but because I felt I needed to in order to survive.

Hope that makes sense

Thanks for getting us thinking and reflecting

Joanna

Joanna Youngs last blog post..10 Posts On The Theme of Respect

By: Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:28:21 +0000

Rosa, I aspire to be more like you, truly. Good luck with your experiment. Like Cath, you are really taking a serious step by trying to reduce your burden of reading. I guess when reading becomes a burden, that's a pretty strong signal something needs to change. Brad Shorrs last blog post..In Need of No Needs

By: Rosa Say

Rosa Say — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:23:34 +0000

Well now Brad, I know you have read about my 90-day experiment earlier this morning, so our synchronicity is interesting. You are helping me calendar Friday as a day I will list checking in with you, for I anticipate some “Going Short and Deep” discussions here (or Saturday once the discussion gets going as it surely will!)

As for needs, I’ve been someone who always prided herself on needing very little materially, fully aware I thrive in fierce independence and need complete freedom (and material possessions can weigh you down, interfering with mobility). As I get older however, I find that what Michael Stallard calls a “connection culture” is extremely important to me, and what I need most are those good relationships which add rich texture to my life —and just those possessions (laptop, telephone, in-person adventures) that help me maintain them.

Rosa Says last blog post..One Woman’s Journey to Being a Writer… A Fairy Tale of Epic Proportions

By: Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:51:16 +0000

Karen, True enough. If you are full on the inside, how much do you really need from the outside? Cath, That is a bold move doing away with the mobile phone, because it's a real sacrifice. Have you noticed your quality of life has improved? Brad Shorrs last blog post..In Need of No Needs

By: Cath Lawson

Cath Lawson — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:08:55 +0000

Hi Brad – like you, I don’t think I could go as far as Merton. But I am trying to streamline what I have, because I really feel bogged down by all this material stuff and junk sometimes.

I’ve stopped using a mobile phone – aside from for emergencies because it was a nuisance. And we also cut down from a car each to just one to share. I’ve still a lot more stuuf I need to get rid of too.