Last week’s bettering yourself topic was based on Martha Beck’s article titled: “When and How to Say “Enough!”
For most of human history, everything good was scarce, so it was necessary to stockpile supplies. This “Just in case mentality” (JIC), is still necessary in many parts of the world, says Beck, to guard against an uncertain future. But most of us in the developed world have our basic needs met, and can easily access more supplies when needed.
The Just in time or (JIT) manufacturing practice that Toyota adopted shortly after WWII was a new way of making cars, similar to making Sushi, says Martha. It implied “everything good is abundant”, and they were super efficient as they ran the lines efficiently without the cost of stockpiling parts.
Martha explains how the old (JIC) thinking combined with a super abundant culture can make things go severely wrong. The resulting excess can affect every area of your life, and lead to problems such as: hoarding, overeating, debt, and relationship problems.
She describes how you can apply the (JIT) business model to your household to streamline your life, so I tried it, and it worked. By recognizing that everything good is abundant, and trusting that there is no shortage, or famine, or lack of love in your relationships, it reduces your stress.
I found 6 bottles of Windex in my house, and condensed them down to 3. I won’t buy another bottle until I’m running out, as I no longer fear that there is a shortage of Windex at the store.
By shedding the feeling of scarcity, or the “fear” mentality, I shifted to an abundant mentality, or one of “faith”, cleared up some space in my cupboards, and streamlined my household.
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Martha-Becks-Strategy-to-Lower-Stress-and-Improve-Your-Life