Simple Living Outwardly
Equals Inner Riches
Simple living, or voluntary simplicity, is a lifestyle choice that embraces the belief that “less is more.” The idea that “more is better” is being re-examined by many of us.
The choice to return to a simpler life comes about for different reasons. For some, choosing simple healthy living is about creating a life that is free of stress and long hours at work. For some of us, it’s about family or spending quality time with our loved ones. Others define it as a choice for health, religion,
frugality
, or
thrifty living
.
Yet for others, it has to do with a social and political belief system. What is your definition of simple living?
If your ideology includes conservationism, anti-consumerism and /or sustainability, you might have some simple living ideas of your own.
What Are YOUR Reasons?
Whatever they are, it is a choice made by personal preference. It is intentional and should not be confused with simply being poor.
What do you VALUE most in life? What are your PRIORITIES?
My husband and I have this conservation all the time. He wants a big screen TV and I say, “Why?”
The fact is, we value the same things—family, health, friends, and the time to enjoy them. But sometimes, it’s easy to get sucked in by all the hype and “keeping up with the Joneses.”
Every once in a while you have to stop and ask yourself, “ Why am I working 60 hours a week to give my family all the very best money can buy?”
We fall into the spending cycle which forces us to work more and spend less time enjoying all the things we are working so hard to buy.
What Do YOU Value?
• Minimalism or materialism
• Spiritual riches or monetary wealth
• Quality of life or unrestrained spending
Begin this inner dialogue and you’ll likely come up with some answers and a lot more questions.
It's Important to Simplify
Recently, I read a blog entry about voluntary simplicity where a reader wants to know why she has to give up all her stuff. She didn’t see the point of doing without all her material possessions.
The point is that if you can’t see the point, why do it? That’s what voluntary means—free will. If you believe in the concept, you will want to shed some of the excess baggage.
Take some of our
declutter tips
for decluttering your house and your life. I don’t advocate throwing out perfectly good stuff, though. It defeats part of the purpose. You don’t want to create more waste for the landfills. But you do have to start to develop better habits.
Commit to
reduce, reuse, recycle
. Make it part of your life. Read more about the
importance of recycling
. For more simple living ideas see
Simple Living Resources.
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Your Money or Your Life
Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska
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