A month or two ago Gretchen Rubin, author of Happiness At Home talked in her blog about simplicity and abundance. She’d noticed that people spoke of either being (or feeling) full or empty, and longing for the opposite. She wondered then if:

• “the simplicity lovers–prefer to have less, subtraction, emptiness, bare surfaces, few choices, spare supplies–one tube of toothpaste?
• the abundance lovers–prefer to have more, fullness, overflow, collections, many choices, ample supplies–five tubes of toothpaste?”

She also wondered if lovers of simplicity also craved stillness; and those needing ‘more’ stuff, loved busy-ness.

Considering Gretchen’s definition… I am most certainly a lover of simplicity. Despite my hatred of grocery shopping I shop regularly as I buy the minimal amount of things each outing. I buy it, use it, buy it, use it. Rise. Repeat.

Occasionally I build up a bit of a supply of meat in my freezer but NEVER does it or my cupboards look like my mother’s who could live for weeks after the a zombie apocalypse. (My mother is indeed a lover of abundance!)

In fact, my larder is pretty small and I get stressed if it’s full and I can’t find what I need.

In my Debbish blog today I’m talking about the fact that I HATE CLUTTER. I like clean surfaces. I hate stuff being ‘in the way’.

And I do like stillness. However… I actually work better when busy and when challenged. I thrive under pressure.

In addition, although I am pretty sure I’m a simplicity-lover, I have a fear of ‘running out’ of stuff. It’s a fear of not being /having ‘enough’. When in binge-mode it’s about food… I panic that 400g of chocolate won’t satisfy my need, so I have to buy 1kg. And one bag of chips won’t be enough. I need two. At least.

When not bingeing I just don’t buy anything other than the essentials. I know I have minimal self-control. If I have trigger foods, they won’t last a day. Hell, they won’t last an hour.

So, perhaps I am a lover of simplicity, but… when stressed or pressured, I reach for the opposite and long for the land of plenty. Perhaps that’s human nature.

Are you a lover of simplicity or abundance?
Or is it not that simple for you?

PS. This post is part of a pigeon pair. Well, actually I don’t know what a pigeon pair is, but I like the sound of it. As it happens, today’s post in Debbish dovetails quite nicely with this one. #birdsonthebrain!