Down the stairs leading up...

Money in the modern society consumption have become a major indicator of what place a person occupies in society, and a person's status in society is determined by the style of consumption of goods and services.

Idol is number one, work and career, image and social status – the idol number two. Any successful careerist is a hostage of his own situation: he was spending aimed at the acquisition of the prestigious things for the next career leap, and so can continue indefinitely.

It reminds of an unexplained natural phenomenon called "ant circle" or "mill of death" which consists in the fact that a small group of ants begins with no apparent reason to run around in circles, gradually involving him more others. Ants keep running to exhaustion, until I drop dead. However, sometimes it happens so that some individuals somehow go from the "millstones" of the "mill of death". Apparently, they have aktiviziruyutsya other "program".

And in the society. Successful people suddenly realize that the pursuit of profit, for success, for wealth leads them to self-destruction.

In society "the rat race" suddenly there is a movement of "downshifting". The word "downshifting" is borrowed from the vocabulary of the drivers is the transmission to a lower speed. First, the use of the word "downshifting" as the definition of a conscious refusal of the scheme of life, "earning – consumption" refers to 1991. Then in the newspaper "Washington Post", published an article "life on the lower gear, downshifting and the new view of success in the 90s". In those years of protest against the ideals of a consumer society was in its infancy. First, among the countries where people interrupted a successful career and chose a simple and quiet life with his family, was USA, UK and Australia. In countries with a high standard of living where people can afford almost everything, except his personal life, downshifting has become a social phenomenon.

The main external sign of downshifting – the rejection of a career in this form of the vicious circle of endless consumption, demonstrate their high status, level and style of life, imposed by society, for the sake of other values in life, especially family, Hobbies, psychological comfort and care for their own health. Downshifters quit my job, career and start to live a more relaxed and comfortable simple life for themselves and their families. Some get less paid job, but with a more relaxed schedule, some become freelancers working from home at a convenient time. Many people manage not to work and live due to pre-organized passive income.

Some downshifters believe that history has already been such examples. A famous example of downshifting past is the story of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who, after twenty years of rule and the strengthening of the Roman Empire, voluntarily left his post and retired to his residence to "growing cabbage".



S. M. Prokudin-Gorsky. Portrait Of L. N. Tolstoy

Russia was your example – the writer Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy's philosophy of simplification is most logically combined with the ideas of downshifting. Here downshifting is manifested in its highest quality – the rejection of luxury, wealth, and conventions of the world for love and compassion.

In each country, the downshifting has its own characteristics. In Australia, for example, changing an expensive house in a prestigious location on a small house away from the noise. In the UK the main feature of downshifting – sustainability and environmental protection. European downshifters tend the farming and consumption of organic products, the use of alternative energy sources (solar panels, wind farms), a reasonable recycling and disposal of waste.

In most Western countries downshifting can afford, or wealthy young people, or people after 35-40 years, because in 25-30 years the inhabitants of these countries only score the minimum number of credits for the start in life that must eventually return. Downshifters are responsible to others, so we start a new life, leaving the family apartment, car, giving children a good education .

In Russia, with its low level of material well-being of most people and not very stable economic situation, talking about downshifting, how about a social phenomenon is still very early.

However, in large cities, mostly in Saint - Petersburg and Moscow already has a domestic downshifters, there is even a website that discusses various issues in this field.

According to some researchers of this social phenomenon, the most striking feature of Russian downshifting his creative painting. Western downshifters, mostly fleeing from life, expressing social protest. Our, on the contrary, find a new place in society. They do not give up, realizing that a lot of them are not satisfied. Many Russian downshifters leave, not only in the countryside, but very often in warm, tropical countries with a medium level of life. This is India, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia the island of Bali. Most of "our" in the smallest Indian state Goa. Life here is quiet and cheap, something to aspire to any downshifter.

Often downshifting a stage to upshifting – total denial from previous life. Uplifter is a radical downshifters, generally preferring to go the distance, taking up a completely different occupation and sacrificing the longstanding status and position, while the majority is enough to go down one or two rungs of the career ladder, reducing the scope of responsibility and duties.

Downshifting is essentially a search for the way of salvation alone.

Another way the Church offers. In the Russian Orthodox tradition is the concept of "Christian unity" is the Supreme condition of social cohesion, which harmoniously combines many human individuals, spiritually overcame their selfish beginning. For those who fully decided to leave from the world of hustle and bustle in this island of salvation are the monasteries. For those living in the world your way to "Christian unity" is not easy to find, well, if the community at the Church is such a place.

But there is nowadays a wonderful place — St. Alexis of the desert. It arose on the ruins of the Fyodorovsky convent efforts and prayers of the Abbot hieromonk Peter(Alex Vasilenko) .





"Saint Alexis Hermitage" of deserts has existed since 1992, located in the village of novooleksiivka the Yaroslavl region is a educational center, the likes of which, perhaps, does not exist in Russia. The monastery appeared more than 22 years ago on the site of the former (until 1917) the farmstead of Pereslavl monastery of St Theodore and of the dilapidated temple St. Alexis the Man of God. Today, Deserts are small male and female community (over 400 people), refuge for the elderly and disabled people, children's center for orphans, the cadet corps, a classical gymnasium, "a combined Museum, the Saint Alexis Hermitage" and a huge library.

A righteous life lead here the members of the charity — Orthodox monastery — the Brotherhood of mercy. From the first day of its existence, the Monastery took on the education of children and to present them in the abode of 200 people, including 170 students. The number of pupils the majority of children-orphans, in fact, social orphans, children from disadvantaged families, including families incomplete, just children from very poor social strata. For children there are established classical school, physical-mathematical, natural-science classes, cadet corps, school of music. a lot of museums. Children here receive such a wonderful education that easily reach the University on a budget

Today St Alexis of the desert has 250 inhabitants, United by a common idea of the Orthodox revival. Deserts — a "monastery for lay people". The monks are busy from morning till dusk, sow, work, learn, teach, take care of the sick. Work without pay, for thanks. Of the common boiler feed, dress up, money to build houses, baths, restored the old Church (built under the new roof of the gymnasium). The day begins with prayer and a common meal, in the same ends. Come and stay those who are truly looking for a righteous, clean life. Deserts have a lot of friends, thanks to their help Posting alive and growing. For everyone. published

 

Author: Natalia Korikova

P. S. And remember, just changing your mind — together we change the world! ©

Source: Natalia Korikova