As I’ve repeated more than once in various articles, I’m a huge fan of Sarah Ban Breathnach and her Simple Abundance approach to life.
Speaking of Simple Abundance, if I’m remembering correctly it was born during a time when another recession was under way. Back in the early 1990s. Ms. Breathnach wanted to find a way to get more out of life with less, not just materially but spiritually too. So she revamped her life and her way of thinking about life and created what has become a transformative guidebook instructing other women how to achieve both as well.
This year I decided to reread another of her books, Romancing the Ordinary. One of the essays I read in there recently reminded me of one of the lessons from Simple Abundance. About how you don’t need much to make the most of any situation. Basically just putting in a little creativity, time, and effort will net huge results.
With gas prices seemingly soaring to new highs every day, food costs escalating, and jobs dwindling, the economy is on many people’s minds. It’s no secret that money is one of the top marital problem triggers. If you’re already having problems on that front, a tighter pinch to your pocketbook from a recession could really wreak havoc on your relationship.
But it doesn’t have to. Recessions aren’t much fun, granted. However, they also don’t have to be worse than need be. With the right thinking and approach, couldn’t we actually use a recession to benefit our marriages? Make them stronger? Find new and varied ways to spend time together on “less coin” (as seems to be the newest phrase these days).
I believe so!
I’m not sure if this will become a series of articles, but I am planning on exploring ways we can make the recession benefit our marriages. One thing I’d like to suggest right now, though, is something fairly simple.
No matter how bad your circumstances may seem, strive to cultivate an “attitude of gratitude”. Instead of dwelling on all the lack, take time to note all the abundance you have right now in your life.
If you were able to kiss your husband or wife goodbye this morning, that’s huge. If you know you’ll eat dinner together tonight –no matter how humble the meal may be– at least you’ll have food on the table and company to share it with. If you’ll fall asleep in the same bed and have the chance for a quick cuddle before dozing off, what a blessing!
It may seem small, but sometimes it’s the smallest things that matter most. After all, they’re they ones that are priceless.
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