The Not So Big Life

Several years ago I was on a committee that was working on bringing a green festival to Indiana. The project fell through because, in the midst of the recession, we were unable to find a major sponsor. However, first on our list of potential keynote speakers was Sarah Susanka.

I had not heard of Susanka before, so I checked out one of her books, The Not So Big House, from the library. I skimmed the book and filed it away for future reference. My husband and I were not thinking of building a home at that time. Fast forward a couple of years and now my husband and I were starting to think of our retirement and possibly building a smaller house. I heard that Sarah Susanka was coming to our local Art Museum to speak, so we went to hear what she had to say.

During that talk, she mentioned her book, The Not So Big Life, which intrigued me, since in retirement we would be looking to scale down on both consumption and commitments. At the same time, I am fulfilling some of my major passions in life, photography and writing, and trying to figure out how to make a living from them. Much of my photography work (and writing) has to do with slowing down, connecting with nature, and really seeing what is there - living in the moment.

This book really came at the perfect time for me. I was already putting some of her suggestions into practice. She gave me the big picture and helped fill in some of the missing pieces. One of the main premises of this book is that the universe is already perfect as it is. Much of what we do as humans impedes that perfection, even causing suffering. We need to stop trying to force things to go the way we want (that's our ego in charge), and let our intentions unfold in sometimes surprising ways. In other words, go with the flow.

Image Credit: Everything Series on Zazzle by kimmanleyort

When I picked up the book, The Not So Big Life, from the library, I had no idea about the impact it would have on me. Susanka really does provide a blueprint for a new way of living more authentically, with in-depth exercises to uncover what inspires you and what is holding you back.

There is a Not So Big Life website where you can download the exercises and discuss the book with others. The book is just the beginning. She gives ways to track your progress once you're finished with the book.

What did I learn? Through this book I discovered:

* The importance of daily meditation.

* How to observe my thoughts and the judgments that are beneath the surface.

* How to interpret my dreams in a whole new way.

* How to identify some of the conditioned patterns in my life, such as retreating from strong feelings and isolating myself.

* Which activities were cluttering up my life. For example, I've realized for awhile that my habit of watching a particular morning show was really a waste of time and that I would be better off beginning my day with meditation.

* I've put together a daily schedule that will allow uninterrupted time for creative pursuits.

* I have a list of new books to read and ideas for new writing topics.

But most of all, I have learned not to grasp so tightly to my ideas as to how things should be, and to follow the synchronicities in life.

Image Credit: Everything Series on Zazzle by kimmanleyort