Good morning, Gents!

Happy Single's Awareness Day, lol!

I was thinking about something the other day. I've been a minimalist for probably about 17 years. And I really like it. It has served me very well, getting me out of debt, helping me save, invest, grow, etc. Probably the biggest thing for me to get rid of was my TV/cable like maybe 12 years ago. Another perk is that I haven't had a credit card in so long I can't remember.

But there is a side that I dislike. From time to time, when I want to splurge on something, which doesn't happen that often, I have often felt guilty or even scared of what may happen. Let's say I want to buy something for $500. I actually do have $500 just lying around. I don't need it for bills, in fact I don't have any bills nor do I need it for anything coming up. So, I can spend it, if I want. But what if something happens (car breaks down, prices go up, I have an accident, get sick, etc) & I wish I had that money back? And often times I have not splurged. Maybe that's a good thing (for some). Maybe it proves that I didn't really need it (I mean, let's be honest, do you really "need" anything).

I've also seen this carry over into other parts of my life, like vacation time. I have lots of vacation time, nothing I need it for (like say an operation or anything), so why not take a day off & have a 3 day weekend. I've earned it. But what if something happens & I wish I had that time back, so I go to work.

I think the discipline of minimalism is great to develop, but it has a dark side that I wasn't aware of. And I think when you develop a discipline, whatever that is (faith, health, financial, relationship), it can become a monster. And I think you have to control the monster, rather than let it control you. I think we believe in it & maybe come to believe that this discipline is best for us, so when we violate it for whatever reason, it's hard, because we think we're doing something bad, when we may not be.

If I was spending all my money every chance I got it, then yeah, minimalism should make me feel guilty of doing something wrong, of actively harming myself, because I am. It would be justified. That's why I started the discipline in the first place, so that a fool & his money are NOT easily parted. But if I've been a minimalist for years & I want to splurge $500 for whatever reason & I have the money laying around & don't need it for anything, then minimalism has done what it's supposed to do (earned or saved me $500, made me aware of my financial state, whether I have bills or anything coming up, & whether this is a good idea or not). I developed this discipline to make me wise & it's done it's job.

But if it's making me feel guilty for no reason, I'd say it's trying to morph into a monster, which is no longer serving me, but trying to control me. I need to remove it from the position of askng permission & put it back in the closet where it belongs to be taken out by me again when I need it. You don't ask a servant for permission. A servant doesn't usurp it's master.

This is my latest piece. I finished it last weekend (my 3 day weekend). I actually worked my butt off, so I'm very thankful for this weekend. I kept the original idea (I really like the idea of an eagle paired with a full moon in daytime). He's sitting on a sycamore tree, because at least around here, these trees have a normal looking tree trunk, but their branches tend to be white & I really like the contrast. And I kept the original size (11 x 14 inches). I thought about makinig the background a solid blue, like I did the hawk, but I really like how this turned out. This drawing took about 29 hours to make, so an 11 x 14 is appropriate. And he turned out well. I've never done an eagle in color before.

Have a great weekend! And as always, thanks for your likes & comments. I appreciate them & you!