The Joy of Less

A recent article on the NY Times website caught my attention.
Author Picco Iyer writes about how he abandoned the frenetic, object-obsessed New York lifestyle for a simpler, more austere, but he thinks happier life.
The piece resonated strongly with me as well, especially almost a year into our aliyah. I gave up an "important" position, downsized my home by half, my salary but much more than that - and there are certainly parts of the rabbinate that I really miss - especially the people and the speaking. But when you're the in the water, it's difficult to imagine life outside the fishbowl, whether the water you're breathing is a job, a position, or just a level of economic comfort.
Sometimes, you can only truly understand a situation once you've left it, and have the ability to look back objectively.