The Bare Necessities

I was inspired to write this post from my recent viewing of 'The Jungle Book' with my almost 2 year old.  To start off I'd like to enlighten you to the fine lyrics of "The Bare Necessities" song that good ole', jolly Baloo the bear sings to his little human buddy, Mowgli:

Look for the bare necessities

The simple bare necessities

Forget about your worries and your strife

I mean the bare necessities

Old Mother Nature's recipes

That brings the bare necessities of life

Wherever I wander, wherever I roam

I couldn't be fonder of my big home

The bees are buzzin' in the tree

To make some honey just for me

When you look under the rocks and plants

And take a glance at the fancy ants

Then maybe try a few

The bare necessities of life will come to you

They'll come to you!

Look for the bare necessities

The simple bare necessities

Forget about your worries and your strife

I mean the bare necessities

That's why a bear can rest at ease

With just the bare necessities of life

Now when you pick a pawpaw

Or a prickly pear

And you prick a raw paw

Next time beware

Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw

When you pick a pear

Try to use the claw

But you don't need to use the claw

When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw

Have I given you a clue?

The bare necessities of life will come to you

They'll come to you!

So just try and relax, yeah cool it

Fall apart in my backyard

'Cause let me tell you something little britches

If you act like that bee acts, uh uh

You're working too hard

And don't spend your time lookin' around

For something you want that can't be found

When you find out you can live without it

And go along not thinkin' about it

I'll tell you something true

The bare necessities of life will come to you

The song has a catchy tune and I found myself singing along and repeating that first verse even after the movie was long done and I realized the genius of those words. 

Baloo's Wise Words	My Interpretation
Forget about your worries	Don't waste time focusing on your troubles in life
Look for the bare necessities	Concentrate only on your basic needs
Old Mother Nature's recipes bring you the bare necessities	All that we really need is provided by nature
The bare necessities will come to you	Have faith that your basic needs will be met and don't try to worry about how you'll get what you need
If you work like the bees, you're working too hard	Don't be always on the go - slow down and take in the world around you
Don't spend your time lookin' around for the things you want	Try not to be thinking about the stuff you want, instead be grateful for what you already have
When you find you can live without it, you'll go along not thinkin' about it	Realize that the stuff you think you want, you don't need then you'll be able to stop wanting and enjoy life more
Then the bare necessities of life will come to you	When you change your thinking, then your basic needs will be met more easily.

Now Baloo's got a few less needs than us, but I like the point he's makin' ; clarify what your needs and wants are  and decide that as long as your few basic needs are met you can live life happily.  When we let go of trying to control everything in our lives, we allow good things that are uniquely designed for our lives to flow in.  Depend on nature and God to nourish and fulfill you from the inside out.