Peak Experiences

By John Minier

In Defense of Simplicity

One of the benefits of spending time in the mountains is the opportunity to escape from the constant barrage of distractions, silence the chatter, and find time to reflect. Recently, I found myself contemplating the role ‘prosperity’ plays in my life.

I have been ‘rich,’ and I have been ‘poor,’ and if given the option of one or the other, I choose poor. In fact, some of the happiest times in my life have been when I had the least or lost the most. Living with only a little requires a certain amount of letting go, and letting go requires trusting that the universe will provide what is needed when it is needed.

It’s not the “having more” that I dislike; it’s all the baggage that comes with it, the expectations layered on top of all the striving and effort and the need to control the outcome. It’s the anxiety disguised as ambition and the happiness that is fully dependent on external factors. It’s exhausting.

Being poor reminds us about what is most important in life or, more specifically, who is most important. It forces us to cultivate relationships, to lean on one another, and to trust each other. When we have nothing left to give, we often discover which relationships are genuine, and hopefully, we are reminded that we are worth more than what we can simply produce or provide. A good conversation or a warm embrace becomes the best part of your day. But the truth is that such little moments were always the best part of your day. You just forgot for a while.

When we can no longer distract ourselves with things, we often rediscover the world around us. We remember there is nothing as exciting as simply being here in this moment, in whatever beautiful place we are privileged to inhabit. We remember to get up early to watch the sunrise, to swim in cold water, and to walk amongst the trees. We remember the excitement of the first snowfall and how very good it feels to move our bodies in whatever way we find most appealing. We remember that the greatest relationships we can have are with ourselves and with the world around us.