"the fewer needs you have , the happier you become..."

Those are high but difficult ideals for most of us to follow.If one can really adhere to the simple life with minimum wants and giving to the needy it is indeed an ideal way to live.In the present materialistic life there are few who follow these high principles.This materialistic existence which lays emphasis on materialistic wants leads to a vicious circle where one want is satisfied and another crops up.One can with a determined attitude and high morals stick the principles you've mentioned about.

I believe so. The happiest people are those who are content with what they have. The desire to have more sets a pressure that can stress or depress, especially when failures come.

i like this quote janevi and i would like to apply this in my life. i will be cutting down on buying things that i dont really need and i will focus more on my saving. thank you for posting such inspiring messages

The greediness makes many people lose their mind. A lot of corruptions could be prevented if people didn't want money in first place. It starts with the government , the local authorities and people to their friends. After all , people need food and water to live , a roof to sleep under , and love for each other. Maybe some spare money for an accident or I don't know. Many people have a lot more money than what they really need for themselves and for their kids and for their family. Some of them don't have the time to enjoy what they have. I always try to want less and be satisfied with what I have. My tip for everyone is to have fun of simple things like walking and playing outside , help their family and care about each other.

Hi janevi! I completely agree with you that the fewer needs we have the happier we become. Yes, as for some this is quite an idealistic way of living but it can be done. We are the masters of our life and happiness is something that we can create for it is a choice. I strongly believe that the simplest things tends to make a person happy and I can attest to that. I have my jar of happy thoughts that I open whenever I feel sad and face a lot of difficulties in life. And looking back, I noticed that most of them are not due to material possessions that I have. In fact, my happy memories are the smile and hug of my boyfriend who is now my husband, the very first time I cradle my new-born child, my child's first step, the smell of rose in my mother's garden, the cool breeze that touch my cheeks early in the morning, the butterfly kisses that my daughters give me every time they come home from school, the tight hug that my daughters give me every time she sees me shed tears when watching one of my favorite TV soap. These are just some of the priceless treasures that I hold dearly in my heart. They inspire and make my heart sing and feel endless joy. I know that it is hard to simplify one's life especially if you are surrounded by consumerism. But I always think of our needs first instead of want. And I make it a point to cherish friends old and new, to prioritize relationships over money. Moreover, I always remember to feel grateful for all the blessings that God has given me. Most of all for the gift of wisdom that He showed me to know what matters most in my life and what makes me happy.

Hi there Janevi, how you doing? At last you have stirred up this topic. Needs depend on where you draw the line. It's like if you have less income, you have to curb your needs and live on basic necessities. If you have more income, even your needs increases. The definition of NEEDS differs from person to person. Yes, it is a materialistic world. People usually buy over and above their basic necessities mainly for the purpose of showing off. One rule of the book is : Save some for the rainy days. Some people live frugally and save. Those who mint money increase their needs and go to places where they never have been to before...like branded outlets. And there are other types who live a careless and carefree life...who spend and waste recklessly. The one you call Spendthrifts. It's like once you are on the ground, you like it, adapt yourself to it and accept living on the ground. But once you start soaring high, you want to go higher and higher and it's really hard to come down and it hurts like hell if you fall face down.

I think I'd be a lot happier if I had less. My and my husband's possessions have made slaves of us. I can't make full use of what I have because there is too much stuff I don't need on top of it and around it. It just takes so much time and effort to deal with it to even get rid of it. If there were someone who would just come take it off my hands -- useful and useless alike -- I'd just hand it over. But boxes containing papers have to be sorted to make sure I don't throw out something the tax man might ask for later, or some important document that wasn't put away in the right place. Because of identity theft issues, boxes of stuff have to be shredded before they can be thrown away. Other things have to be recycled. Other things have to be transported to thrift shops or rummage sales. I would be quite content with a simpler life style. I'm contented with what I have, enough to eat and drink, a home to live in, a car to get around in, beauty around me to walk in, plenty to do that can be enjoyed with no cost, enough to pay the important bills, and enough books to keep me reading for life. And, of course, a computer to stay in touch with the outside world.