For some reason I have been thinking and mentally defining what a simple life means to me and so I thought I would try and put down in writing some stuff that I could tangibly touch and read and in the process share with you all. My goal in living simply is voluntary simplicity. I don’t really know why but stuff has never made me happy (well there is some stuff that does like my vintage water pitcher) and shopping therapy only feels good while you are doing it, afterward I always felt a low on the happiness meter which makes one go out and do it again. No! Not me.
Moving here from a concrete jungle was done with the purpose of living a simple life but what does that mean. You probably hear that alot lately, I do. Since my early teens I have been very attracted by the Amish, their sparsely decorated homes, their simplicity though I would lose it without air conditioning haha. The way they do for themselves and do not care what the outside world tells them they should be doing, wearing etc. I wanted to be a Catholic Amish. Well, I can have that life it just takes some work. Voluntary simplicity.
Things that make a simple life to me:
Being happy with what you have at this very moment. It is so easy to want more but in the pursuit of more we lose out on enjoying today and this moment.
A kiss and little word from a toddler or the 2000th flower brought to me by one of my children.
Savoring a simple meal, easy to prepare and homegrown or bought locally. A nice cold basil mint tea plucked straight from the garden, sipped while rocking on the front porch.
Making a cozy nest for my family to live in. A place where they will want to come back to at the end of the hard day, decorated with items I made not purchased at the bog box store.
A new baby chick or a warm freshly laid egg from the coop.
I am so sure there are way more but those are the ones that come to mind.
So, what do you think of when you think of a simple life? Share please : )
Steps I am taking to continue on the road of simplicity:
Less is more, keeping what I love and letting go of the rest. I want to look around and smile at what surrounds me. I am also working on decluttering all the time. If there is something that does not make me smile and I can live without it, I will donate it to the homeless shelter thrift store in town.
The things I have made or purchased from someone else have special qualities. They are not mass produced, instead, made with time and effort and I love them. Everything you bring into your house becomes a responsibility. You have to care for it, clean it, and ultimately, dispose of it.
Eating closer to the farm. Simple, nutritious meals that we eat together at the table while laughing and sharing of our lives.
Making time to be quiet and still with God. This fuels me and fills me more than anything I could charge on a credit card.
Living within my means. Let’s face it, money can be good or bad but not enough of it hurts. I evaluate where our money is going all the time and make sure that we are getting a good bang for our buck. I also love the challenge of saving money on all the little things that add up. Would you be interested in hearing how I save money every once in a while?
I have also been receiving emails (love them thank you) from lots of people regarding how we live and how they perceive that we live so I am thinking that maybe I need to let you all in a little more and blog more about the mundane and not so exciting things we do around here. That my friends is the simple stuff that makes a simple life so if you will read it I will write it.
