Financial Disaster Just Beginning

I’ve been learning a lot about financial literacy since I started my micro-business.  And, as usual, I’ve plunged in all the way… reading everything I can get my hands on.

What I’ve been reading lately, from conservative practically minded investment types, is truly frightening.

Most are predicting not just a “recession”… but a Depression that will far exceed the Great Depression.

I’m not particulary worried about this for myself… as I now have plenty of cash flow and still live very simply (there’s always van living, after all

But its truly frightening for the average Americans I know.  They’ve lived all of their lives focused on comfort and more, more, more.   They are soft, undisciplined, emotionally weak, and totally unprepared for the tough challenges ahead.

I’ve ranted about the “fatness” of the American body and mind for years now… and this is why– it has produced a nation of spoiled brats.. utterly devoid of self-discipline.  And now that nation will be forced into poverty and austerity and simplicity.  Most Americans, I fear, will crumble emotionally in the process.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

This blog offers hope for a fun, adventurous, free, amazing life… no matter how little money you have.  My car living and van living experiments, for example, were fantastic points in my life.

As Thoreau said, when you voluntarily simplify your life, poverty is no longer poverty.  Poverty in the US is mostly a mental, emotional, and spiritual deprivation.

What I’m saying is this– don’t fear.  There’s nothing to fear.

Simplicity is a blessing when you embrace it.  It frees you.  Frees you from compulsive desires.  Frees your time for more enriching activities.  Frees your mind to focus on more enlightening thoughts and ideas.

Losing a few doodads is not the end of the world.  Moving to a much smaller and cheaper home (apartment or house) is not the end of the world.

Tomoe and I still live in a 12 x 12 room without a kitchen or a bathroom.  We cook on a hotplate.  We use the shared bathroom in our apartment building.  I built a loft for our bed, and have a small “office” under the bed from which I run my “Portable Empire” (ie. my web business).  We have the cheapest rent in San Francisco and get to live right downtown.  No car necessary, so we don’t have one.

This is all that’s necessary– a safe, dry, warm place to sleep,…   a place to bathe,…   food and a place to cook a meal,…  warm functional clothing,… friends/community.

That’s all.  None of the rest is necessary (nice perhaps.  fun perhaps. but not necessary for happiness or health).

When living in my car & van, I had a safe, dry, warm (enough) place to sleep.   I bathed in rivers in the summer, in public restrooms or gyms at other times (or at friends’ places).   I cooked food on a small camping stove… and made just enough money from a 10 hour a week part-time job (food stamps are always an option of last resort).   I had simple functional clothing that kept me dry and warm.

And most of all, I had friends.   I relaxed with them in coffee shops.  I visited them at their homes.

I also enjoyed my solitude–  walking at nature centers or parks,  meditating, doing yoga, working out at the gym, writing….

That’s why I still live the way I do… even though I could afford a nice McMansion at this point. Happiness is found in connections.  Its found in learning.  Its found in creativity.  Its found in exploration and adventure.

So….  do not fear, no matter how bad the economics get.

Your humanity is not dependent upon money or doodads.