Today, I’m going to talk about how to get the power of living. I think that downgrading our fundamentals gives us the stability to live stronger.
A person who was tired of patience
Not long ago, I saw someone tweet on SNS, “I’m tired of patience with everything. I’m running out of energy to live.”
She seemed exhausted by many things, such as the stress of her work, her working hours, the interference of her parents, and her lack of money. And she tried to be patient, but the more patient she was, the less will to live she seemed to have.
Sometimes, we feel such pain of patience. At such a time, we often experience the opposite result of what we wish. We endure to live, but the more patient we are, the more will to live we lose. In other words, patience against our will reduces our energy to live.
In such a case, downgrading our fundamentals could work. It might give us the power to live stronger. And it might also give us new lifestyles to reduce unnecessary patience.
Downgrading my kitchenware
To explain that, let me talk about myself. Recently, I have been fascinated with organizing my kitchenware.
And I downgraded my cooking thermometer several days ago. I used to use a good digital thermometer. But now I use a simple, traditional analog alcohol thermometer. In other words, I threw away an expensive, high-quality one and replaced it with an inexpensive, low-quality one.
Because I wanted to have more stability in the basic parts of my life. And this gave me more power to live.
Precision-aimed tools and Stability-aimed tools
In my opinion, there are two kinds of tools we use: those for creating precision and those for creating stability. We call the former precision-aimed tools and the latter stability-aimed tools. We can use these two tools differently, depending on our goals.
- The precision-aimed tools are the ones for creating high value in a limited area. This has precision but is easily broken and costly. This gives us the power to gain.
- The stability-aimed tools are the ones for creating stable value in a wide area. This is tough, solid, and has a low maintenance cost. But it is difficult to be precise. This gives us the stability not to lose.
By the way, this concept is similar to the concept of “one general-purpose tool and several specialized tools.” (This article.) But this is the concept viewed from another aspect.
And we can choose appropriate ways like the following:
- If we are motivated by a desire to obtain, increasing precision-aimed tools will be efficient.
- If we are motivated by fear or anxiety, increasing stability-aimed tools will be efficient.
Then, let’s explain them.
Why I downgraded it
When we want to gain something, precision-aimed tools are efficient. For example, when we want to capture a target animal for our food, the more precisely we can aim, the easier we can get it.
But when we want to get them every day, it is important to be stable. We don’t need unnecessary precision.
In my case, I once bought a good digital kitchen thermometer. It can be measured in 0.1 degrees. But after I had used it for a year, I noticed that I didn’t need such a precise scale. And sometimes I need to change the battery. In other words, it takes some additional costs.
On the other hand, a traditional analog thermometer doesn’t need a battery. It works for a long time without additional cost. And I can check the temperature without turning on the power. In addition, I can use it for more than just cooking in my daily life.
I wanted stability in my kitchenware. What I needed for my kitchenware is stability rather than precision. As a result, I decided to downgrade it. I paid money to downgrade. But I relaxed because my kitchenware got more solid.
How to use them properly
So we need to use these two tools differently. If we use them appropriately, we will get the results easier.
If we are motivated by a desire to obtain, increasing precision-aimed tools will be efficient. For example, when we have aggressive emotions, such as the desire to create, future visions, hope, or joy, it’s better to use precision-aimed tools.
But on the other hand, if we are motivated by fear or anxiety, increasing stability-aimed tools are efficient. It would make us relax.
When we feel fear, stability works
Many people misunderstand this. Many people want only precision-aimed tools. They always believe that obtaining and upgrading is the best solution. They also believe that more money gives us a stronger life.
It looks simple at a glance. But there is a hidden precondition: “If we can do it.” Perhaps money can resolve many problems. “If we can obtain enough of it.”
But sometimes, we are motivated by fear. At such a time, what we need is stability. Not precision. Fear means “I don’t want to lose it.”
So we downgrade our belongings to eliminate fears. Downgrading means concentrating on the essentials. It doesn’t mean losing core values. Imagine that we can live at 1/3 the current cost just by removing the unnecessary decoration. It would be an extremely easier life! Downgrading gives us such an easy life.
In other words, reducing what we have to hold on to makes our lives solid. A person who has nothing to lose has no fear. Too many unnecessary things make us fearful.
In my case, I downgraded my kitchenware. It brings me a cheaper maintenance cost. I came to be able to live less relying on money. So I got relaxed. In other words, I reduced fear and got more power to live stronger.
Conclusion
So I think that downgrading our fundamentals gives us the stability to live stronger. Especially if we often feel fear or anxiety, downgrading would work well.
Like the person introduced at the beginning, some people endure and lose their living energy. They always want to obtain and upgrade. They try to be patient to obtain. So they cannot let go of unnecessary tasks. It causes pain.
But if we let go of unnecessary precision, we can have stable lives. We can say, “I don’t need such a quality.” It allows us to let go of unnecessary patience.
If we understand this logic, we might have the power to live stronger.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you at the next one.
