Lagom: Not Too Much…Not too Little

 

 

“First, she tasted the porridge of the Great Big Bear, and that was too hot for her. Next, she tasted the porridge of the Middle-sized Bear, but that was too cold for her. And then she went to the porridge of the Little Wee Bear, and tasted it, and that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right, and she liked it so well that she ate it all up, every bit!” - British author and poet Robert Southe

We struggle to ever feel “Enough!”  Yes, one of the cornerstones of most religions is that we are insatiable in our cravings which leads us to such misery.  But a modern philosophy followed by the Swedish is that we are “just enough” and that we should be content in that.  Their word for this is “Lagom”.  It is all about balance.  It is about living a life of rhythm with all things so that we do not take or need too much, nor do we do with too little. 

Lagom is a Swedish word defining their way of life that is finding balance; “Not too much”, “Not too little”.  It is a desire to live a life in steady rhythm.  We should avoid individualism, overwork, social climbing.  Hoarding, grabbing, trying to get in the front line for morse of more than you need; having bigger, better, more expensive, is not what leads to satisfaction.  All things in moderation; physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.  Taking more than you need that leaves others without enough, not sharing, forgetting to take care of each other, these are the things that do not sustain and make you miserable in the end.  Success is not that you have stiletto-heeled yourself to some imagined ‘top’.  Success is when you have learned to enjoy the simple things that all of creation offers us.  It is not living in the present of ‘gimmee, gimmee, gimmee’.  Our search for happiness and satisfaction is never trying fill our quadrants of life with more but with being at peace with what you have is all you need.  In the Western World. We all have too much.  Greed is rampant.  At what point does the world have too much? 

Nothing in excess makes us happy for long.  What we have to try to reach is “comfortable”.  We have basic needs.  Overworking is not next to godliness.  We overeat.  We find excuses for not spending as much out in nature as we do in the house or office.  Living as sustainably as possible.  Living as balanced a life as possible, is where the true and lasting contentment comes from.  Living in harmony with all things is contentment.  Take small steps instead of great leaps and bounds is contentment.  We don’t want to miss aa thing. 

Immerse yourself in joy of being, of having enough, of knowing true and lasting joy, of having enough strength to accept serenity.  That’s it!  Lagom is the way to have serenity.  And, serenity is what we have too little of in the fast-paced, gimmee world we live in today. 

Seek Lagom with me.  Trim things down.  Organize, Let’s get our lives in order where order does not rule us.  I am slowly pruning, like I do with my garden at the end of the growing season.  I slowly prune things back.  I am doing that with my ‘things”.  I do not need twenty pairs of shoes.  I only need the ones that are the most comfortable these days.  If I have not worn it in 6 months, I do not need it.  My closet is thinning.  My pantry is full of food I have preserved for winter.  I continue repurposing, restoring, and recycling.  Surely someone else ‘needs’ what I have extra of.  Yes, I am seeking Lagom.

©Carol Desjarlais 9.13.23