Joy of Simple Living (Simplicity)

Finding Happiness in Simplicity: Everyday Joys For Simple Living Throughout The Year [Gail Fraser, Art Poulin] on leondumoulin.nl *FREE* shipping on qualifying .
Table of contents

• 3 Hard Truths About Simple Living
• 10 Life-Affirming Reasons to Live a Simple Life – Slow Your Home
• Let's inspire each other.

So with that in mind, I hope this post will offer a balanced view of not just the wonders but also the limitations of simple living. You can check out the full article here , but this bit in particular stood out to me:. It seems like your skin will be dewier and your hair shinier — a happier, healthier version of yourself. When I first started to experiment with minimalism and simple living, this is how I felt too. I really wanted to believe that getting rid of my stuff was going to magically solve all my problems.

After all, it was such a neat and tidy solution to my complicated problems.

Decluttering taught me to think about my values and to make more intentional decisions about the things I owned, so when I was faced with big decisions like ending a long-term relationship I knew how to think mindfully about what I wanted in my life. Owning less also created more time in my schedule—the little things like less cleaning and less time spent deciding what to wear add up—so I was also able to pick up extra hours at work. Only dead people never get stressed, never get broken hearts, never experience the disappointment that comes with failure.

Tough emotions are part of our contract with life. Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life. Instead, I can recognise that there are seasons in my life. Simple living has taught me to step off the treadmill when I need to. If you want to read a great example of this in action, check out this blog post by Cait Flanders.

She talks about being busy after the release of her new book and how she was able to recognise when it was time for a change of pace. Simple living is not a task you can check off of your to-do list.

• Account Suspended;
• Carolans Devotion;
• Alternative Health Practices for Livestock.
• Slow, Intentional Change.
• When Simple Living Breaks Your Heart.
• 10 Simple Living Tips For Millennials;

The more you practice, the easier it gets to make these decisions but they never go away. The other thing to consider is that our values and priorities can shift with time and you may need to rethink what matters most to you. Have you come across any misconceptions about simple living or have you found your own hard truths?

Or do you disagree with mine? As always, I invite friendly conversation in the comments! I wrote a free, page guide and workbook called Mindful Decluttering to help you finally clear the clutter for good. You have a fresh, supportive and enquiring voice. When I first became a minimalist, I was going through some very hefty emotional baggage.

I read a book that talked about the soul-cleansing that happens in sync with the decluttering process, and I thought it would be the solution to my problems. When my bedroom was almost empty of things — the heartache was still there. I still had to process and grieve and grow. If anything, getting rid of stuff just made it harder to avoid my emotional issues. I still have to find my way through the mess of my emotional state. Thankfully, minimalism and decluttering has, over a very lengthy period of time, taught me how to do just that.

Simple living has allowed me to travel more , and for that I am grateful. But it has also allowed me to pay attention: God calls us to care for the least of these. And the less burdened I am by unnecessary possessions, the more clearly I see my privilege in the face of their pain.

The continual shattering of our self-centered perception is necessary for us to move forward in hope that is real. And meaningful things are worth weeping over. I have read a lot of interesting think-pieces on minimalism lately and many of them revolve around how only the very privileged can practice this lifestyle some even going into this sort of angrily. I do try to live the most minimalist lifestyle I can in many ways, but I am definitely aware of the privilege that allows me to do so, and I do recognize how much more aware it makes me of that privilege.

And I think when we face our privilege, we have to make a decision about whether we are going to do something about it. This post speaks to my heart-I returned from mission work in Ecuador a few months back and I saw how simple living which was welcomingly forced upon me as I brought my one suitcase of personal belongings for the next 9 months of my life!

God used that blessed time to slow down and see-away from the constant business and overwelming amount of stuff-those things that are really important in life and what God has given me a passion to do. So good to hear part of your story, Jenaya!

Let's inspire each other.

Where were you in Ecuador? My husband and I volunteered with a ministry there for about a month in Quito. I have found that I am more able to care for others as I reduce my load of physical possessions. Thank you for a beautiful post!