I thought this message from Ron Rohlhieser OMI was interesting

[Grandpa]

Several years ago a young Benedictine monk shared this story in class.

He lived in a monastery that kept a rather strict rule. Their
observance of poverty and obedience required that he ask permission of
his Abbot before purchasing anything, even the smallest object. If he
wanted to buy a new shirt, he needed the Abbot's permission. Likewise
if he wanted to take some stationary supplies from the storeroom, a
pen or some paper, he needed permission. For years, he felt that this
was belittling.

"I felt like a child," he said, "it seemed silly to me that a grown
man should have to ask permission to buy a new shirt! I looked at men
my own age who were married, raising children, paying for houses, and
presidents of companies and I felt that our rule reduced me to a child
and I resented it. But eventually his attitude changed: "I came to
realize that there is an important spiritual and psychological
principle in our rule, in having to ask permission to buy or use
something. Ultimately none of us owns anything and nothing comes to us
by right. Everything is a gift, including life itself, everything
should have to be asked for and nothing should be taken for granted as
if it was ours by right. We should be grateful to God just for giving
us a little space. Now when I ask permission from the Abbot, I no
longer feel like a child. Rather I feel that I am more properly in
tune with the way things should be in a gift-oriented universe where
nobody has a right to ultimately claim anything as his own. Everyone
should have to ask for permission before buying or using anything."