As the old saying goes "there is absolutely no certainty in the world except time and change".
Yes, at an epistemic level, only time and change remains a certainty in this world as we know it.
And as the dawn of a New Year approaches, if we take a look back at the year 2009, we see a multitude of changes that have occurred in just one year.
We might not be able to foretell the future but we are pretty good at speculating on what will happen tomorrow based on our current state of existence and how we intend to put things in motion.
Living a life with awareness in every single aspect of what we do, is probably the best way to prepare ourselves for the future. It could be the most careful and well thought out method.
MOSO
MOSO is derived from the term Moderation Society. It is a network which seeks to promote a set of beliefs based on research conducted in 2005.
Moderation Society or MOSO is one way to approach the realm of change no matter how it manifests itself.
This movement's mission is to introduce the philosophy of a sufficiency economy into the daily lives of people. The question is, how do they build upon this and sell it to the masses?
A network was developed to complement a series of movements in the guise of several activities under the theme "Focusing on Awareness Over Money".
This meant taking the middle way in living your life. No luxuries or excesses, yet not going overboard by penny-pinching.
Everyone and anyone can be a MOSO member regardless of one's social standing in society.
Be Slow To Buy
Life's necessities for most of us can be boiled down to four basic requirements: food, clothing, medicine and shelter.
However the modern world has given several interpretations of the generic definition of basic necessity. I am talking about telecommunications such as the mobile phone, computers and the automobile.
Being part of the MOSO community doesn't necessarily stipulate that you have to abstain from all of life's comforts, so to speak.
What is required is that you are more careful in choosing and buying what you need.
Take for example, the use of a simple personal account of your income and expenses, in addition to a household account. If you need to purchase something, don't do it on the spur of the moment. Be slower in the buying process. Try out the expense account concept.
Say you want to buy a new computer on a 20,000 baht budget. Set a timeframe for consideration and a rationale for this purchase - say 15 days to one month.
When this time elapses and you are still able to get through life without a new computer then this purchase is not a necessity. You don't need it for Christmas, Songkran, Valentines Day or any other festive holiday that usually stimulates the urge in many people to go out on a spending spree.
Change your outlook. Are there other kinds of presents that we can give our loved ones without having to spend anything at all or spending as much?
Now that you are buying slower you should be able to look at a new measure called the "Buy Nothing Day". Try it once a month and then progress to a weekly basis. This special day should be devoted to just buying food only.
If you can do this on a more frequent basis until it becomes a daily activity, you will discover that you can actually attain happiness without buying anything at all.
Spiritual Happiness Reigns Supreme For Moso Members
As we welcome in the New Year, it should be noted that this should be regarded as an opportunity for everyone to take a step back and think about doing new things. And of course always being aware of your decisions.
The end result will be sustainable happiness that does not rely on wealth and money.
Try it frequently and you could discover that doing things slowly, with a more well thought out approach, can generate an unbelievable level of spiritual happiness within.
Source:
Bangkok Post
Be aware to take care
Economic sufficiency using the MOSO lifestyle
* Published: 24/12/2009 at 12:00 AM
* Newspaper section: Mylife
