Christina Brandt

I’m notoriously bad when it comes to cooking starches.  I find it really hard to believe that rice will increase in size so much that the little bit I put into the water will be enough to feed me.  Same goes for pasta.  I’m constantly throwing in “just a little bit more to be safe” and then ending up with a huge bowl of the stuff once it’s cooked.

Last night, during the Peaceful Finances teleclass, I was telling the group about one of Lynne Twist’s Toxic Myths of Scarcity:  More is better.  If we believe this myth, we run around accumulating more than we’ll ever need – more shoes, bags, paper, books, money, etc.  We’re driven by consumption and greed, not stopping to enjoy what we already have.

And then we’re complaining about the clutter in our lives, unable to find peace.  When we remove the stuff, or better yet, stop bringing in anything we don’t absolutely need, we feel better.

It’s sometimes hard, though, to trust that there will be enough.  That little bit of rice will really make enough to feed me?  That pasta’s going to fill my belly?  Not working in a corporate environment with a steady paycheck and benefits is still going to allow me to have a good life?

If you’re afraid to change from the “more is better” mindset, start slowly.  Instead of half a box of pasta, toss in a third.  You’ll still have leftovers, but less than you did before.   Then, think of another area in which you could do with just a little less and see how it feels.

For me, beginning to trust that there will always be enough has been an ongoing journey.  I’m willing to keep “less-ifying” because it feels freer than being overstuffed – with food, with things, and with weight. “Less is more” feels a lot more peaceful to me than “More is better,” so I’m gonna keep going.

Maybe someday soon there won’t be any leftovers when I cook pasta.