Running with the Giants

Running with the Giants

The upside of downsizing

It was not that long ago, that “downsizing” carried with it somewhat negative connotations. From businesses that cut staff to become more competitive or do more with less to survive while an economy retracted; to people driving smaller cars or smart cars. Downsizing also suggested that you were either too old or too poor,(or both) to have a large home anymore and so you were forced, begrudgingly, into something smaller and inexpensive and that you were just going to have to “make do.”
These days, however, nothing could be further from the truth.
So, what do giants have to do with downsizing? Personally, I like giant stories, myths, and legends. There is always a little guy in the mix that figured out how to beat the giant, or at least have some of what he has or is able to do.
To me, the modern day giants are the wealthy that keep getting bigger and bigger. They build bigger extravagant castles, and spend a lot of their time trying to make money, so they can have more; another house, cabin, trips, cars all the while having less and less time to spend what time is left doing what they love doing. It becomes a spiral of sorts, as they build bigger to impress someone, they need to make more and spend more time working.  They have become the modern day giants!
When one downsizes, be it by choice or forced upon them, they have freed themselves from the “trappings” of modern society. Instead of spending $251,000 of interest on a $350,000 loan over 30 years, which is about $9,000 per year of income; they can now spend that $9,000 on a 10 day  Regents Alaskan cruise and rail excursion to Denali, take pictures all the while living for a brief spell like a giant lives. Or take a series of small trips around the country, book an excursion in a hot air balloon, take a trip to see friends that have not been visited with in years, or just play around in your backyard, take some classes, and create experiences that will live with you forever.
The comment by Henry David Thoreau, “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it” has a lot of wisdom in it. IF you want to run and play like the giants does not mean you have to live like the giants in their stately mansions, castles, and big fancy houses/condos. We can make different choices by living smaller, so we can live large.
Some of the upsides to living small;
Ø  Freedom to travel
Ø  More vacations
Ø  Weekends are yours to play
Ø  Explore the outdoors
Ø  Read frequently
Ø  Explore museums
Ø  Pursue a hobby
Ø  Pursue a passion that makes you come alive
Ø  Take part in sporting activities
Ø  Be of service to the community
Tiny Green Cabins, Tumbleweed Homes, Tiny Home Builders and others can help you achieve living small while running with the giants.