Less is More Than Enough

For week twenty-one in our fifty week calligraphy challenge, the topics was for the love of trees. We were given free reign to create anything that would show our appreciation for trees. I had just finished blowing the leaves on our property and saw many Ginkgo leaves fly by as I worked. I wanted to do something in honor of our two young Ginkgo trees, so I pulled out a stencil. I then looked up and wrote six different quotes about trees with the lines of that stencil. I utilized gel pens and Copic pens because they allow me to write very small…very small indeed. The perfectionist in me wanted to make the piece more elaborate, the artist in me won out as I left it alone. Sometimes less is more than enough.

Less is more than enough…interesting thought in this world of consumption and commercialism. Knowing when to stop, when to turn off those voices telling us we need more, and when simplicity serves better than excess. How to knew when to say when? First we need to know what it is we want AND how that next, better, faster, smarter, shiny thing will help us towards getting what we want. Sometimes just asking ourselves that question is enough to help us keep to less rather than stuffing ourselves with more. It means being able to turn off everything or everyone telling what we “should” do and focusing on what we want. It is not selfish to go for less, or degrading or even a sign of a poor self image. Knowing what you want and when you have more than enough is true self knowledge and employing wisdom.

Let us take a lesson from these Ginkgo leaves filled with words about the love of trees. Less is often more than enough. Enough to fill our coffers, enough to bring us satisfaction and enough to help us get exactly what we want. Trees grow slowly and all too often so does our self awareness paired with the ability to say enough. Think about less today and find yourself more than satisfied with all the blessings of your life.