Living in these modern times, technological advancements have greatly affected our lives. In this hi-tech world, we find ourselves amidst the sea of materialism. Our standards of living seem to get higher and higher. We seem to want more and more as we progress. We are no longer contented with simple pleasures of life. For one to enjoy life, one needs a lot of material possession. To enjoy life these days one must be extravagant and wealthy. Contentment seems so hard to achieve. If we fail to get these things, we think that we are deprived of what we should have. Slowly discontent followed by the feeling of injustice fills us. And misery is not far behind.

One thing God made me realize, through reading the biography of Mother Teresa, is living a simple life can free you from all this miserable discontent. We have accustomed ourselves with so much that it became our daily need. We do not anymore consider how blessed we are for eating 3 meals a day, having clothes and having a house to live in. We fail to see that these 3 things are already a treasure for the poor and homeless. We seem to demand more and more from God without seeing what is in front of us. Our eyes are so far ahead with our materialistic desire that we overlooked what we have. We decide for ourselves what we actually deserve, and God is obligated to give it to us. I like a line “everything you want is not everything you need.”

A life of simplicity can help us detach from all these excess materialism in life. Simplicity can train us to live a “low cost life.” A life that is free from envy and greed. Free from problems that materialism brings us, like “I got no new clothes”, “I need a new car”, “I need money to go to that place” and all those “I want these stuffs.”   The virtue of simplicity can open our eyes to what we have, and thank God that He gave us “our daily bread.