Embrace Simplicity

Sanity Saver# 3 Embrace Simplicity

In our consumer culture it’s easy to lose sight of what’s truly important. Most of us desire deeper meaning in our lives, but do you really think that hunger can be fulfilled with what you see on TV, in the movies or in the pages of women’s magazines? Probably not. However, advertisers continually try to sell us what we don’t need. And unfortunately we believe them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that you move to a cabin in the woods and sell all your worldly possessions, grow your own food and make your own clothes, far from it. But, what I am recommending is that you figure out how to simplify your life right where you are. Simplicity is about reducing the things in your life that no longer serve you, eliminating energy draining activities and most of all it’s about adjusting your attitude.

Simplicity is extremely personal. What may be simple for someone else may not be simple for you. While one person may consider their cell phone to be a tool that simplifies their life another might decide that it’s an annoyance that needs to go. There is no rule for how many changes of clothes you should have in your closet or whether you should own a DVD. It’s all about stripping back the possessions, activities and habits that eat up your time and energy so that you can focus on what truly matters to you.

Do you have everything you need right now? What do you want? Are there any ways in which your “lifestyle” has become more important than your life? Simplifying your life is a process that takes time. It took years for your life to become complicated and it’s not going to be reversed in a day or a week. But you can start now.

Here is one thing you can do to begin this process. In order to reduce your stress and live a high quality life you must distinguish between your wants and needs. We often confuse the two. Needs are those things essential to your survival and growth. For example, food, shelter, water, clothing and transportation, all qualify as needs. On the other hand, wants are the extras—the things that satisfy your desires.

When Were You Happiest?
Take a few minutes and recall a time in your life when you were genuinely happy._____________________
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Most people think of a time when they were less encumbered. They weren’t so weighed down with obligations and possessions. They recall a simpler time, often in their youth. Think about the qualities of that time and let them help you to create a picture of what simple living would mean for you now. As you simplify, you may find that you have more time and space in your life for what is truly important. It would also be worthwhile to consider to what extent desire is running your life.

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