simplicity

I watched the Oprah Winfrey Show earlier today. It shows women from different regions and continents leading their everyday lives and how different one’s outlook can be from one another. The women represent countries like Denmark, Turkey, Japan, and Brazil.

I am most fascinated with how the Danish live their lives – the principle that they hold. It’s not just about their simplicity (albeit their modern looks), but how optimistic they are. They lead a very simple life for a start. They have simple (and very clean) homes which surprised Oprah and me. Besides, they have fewer things, only the essentials. They believe in “less things, more space and more light” (which I couldn’t agree more).They never miss dinner time together as everyone in general go back home by 4pm. Having meals together is a must and almost every Danish family does that.

Accomplishment in Denmark is seen on how successful a woman (or a person) is in balancing her career and her family. And the happier she is, the more successful she is seen to be. And one’s career or choice of vocation is based on interests and not based on how much a job can earned you. Basically everyone’s the same in Denmark; they do practically similar things (jobs) thus the small division of class. They don’t fall for consumerism but they lead life as it is. I have to tell you, they are one content society. However, it is indeed ironic that most of them do not believe in religion or a higher being. I guess they believe in the spiritual kind.

Looking at them, I don’t see why we (Malaysians) are any different. Most of us lead simple lives. The average Malaysian has simple homes and economical cars. We finish work at 5pm and many actually rush home to be with families. Having dinner together is not something new; every family does that but probably not on a daily basis. At least we tried.

However, I doubt many of us are content with what we have or gained and that’s when we tend to differ. Try as we might, we will always measure one’s success on how rich a person is, how many cars he has, how huge the house is and mostly, the materials that cover a person’s body. We can’t help it. While I cannot deny the validity of those measurements, have you ever thought why it is never about how thriving a person is in his faith, his role as a parent, a husband/wife or as a child?

I guess we tend to give weight to external matters. We compare ourselves and we whine. We compete on external stuffs. We overlook that the more we compete, the more we are unhappy as beings. But we also cannot help it that in today’s world, money does bring happiness. Money satisfies our needs and wants that in that pursuit, we forget that personal happiness and contentment can also be achieved by having a strong belief of our faith.

As I watched the show, I realize that the reason they can be so at ease is that they do not let materials blind them; something that most of us are aware of but an extremely difficult thing to pursue. I guess it’s high time that we lessen our wants and control our needs. Simplicity in modernity – I don’t see why it is not achievable. It is indeed practical.

No wonder they are said to be the happiest people in the world. Simplicity is indeed the way to go :)