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Simple Living Means . . . ?
A lot of terms are used - downshifting, downscaling, reduced consumption, Voluntary Simplicity - some are more extreme-sounding than others, and they don't all mean quite the same thing. My version of simple living pretty much means simply living, and the way that I practice simple living incorporates many of the concepts of all of the above. It does not necessarily mean that one's life becomes less complex, or any easier, but so far I have found far greater joy and richness in enjoying the art of living than I did in what I used to call a life.
"Voluntary simplicity is about freedom. It’s about owning your own life. It is hard to say which part of the revelation came first for me. I have said elsewhere on these pages that what began with frugality out of necessity has become living simply, by choice. Yet in a sense this is not altogether true, because when we decided that I would quit work and stay at home, a large factor in this decision was a desire to simplify our lives. We wanted to simplify in order to enjoy less stress, have time free to spend with our children, and to live better lives - not monetarily, but in a broader, richer sense. This wasn't apparent to us immediately, though. At first we scrambled to maintain as much of our former lives as possible on a single income, by cutting corners and living frugally. We enjoyed the slower pace of life but hadn't really changed our mindset about consumerism and "The Good Life". We couldn't afford it so we didn't indulge, but we still believed in it. Eventually, we thought, we would be back on "the right track", but for the moment we just slowed things down. This, I believe, is what is termed downshifting or downscaling. But instead, eventually the concept of simplicity sunk in...we didn't need a lot of the things we were frantic to attain. In fact, we had a lot of junk lying around that we didn't need at all, piles of clutter and junk and extraneous stuff that just clogged up our thoughts...and the decluttering process began. (We're still working on that...) We no longer just "go shopping"; every purchase is weighed as to whether it is a need or a want - not entirely out of frugality, but out of a desire to maintain simplicity. We still indulge some "wants" - music and books are weaknesses we will never give up! But I have found that our wants are few; no longer am I tempted in the slightest by the various gewgaws that I once lusted for. I just don't see the point any more. So now we find ourselves enjoying life far more than we ever did. Unfettered by any compulsions to "keep up with the Joneses", we can relax and enjoy what we do have. We can spend more time with our family and our friends. Working for a living now means that we only have to ensure the basics are covered, and we've been able to do that so far. Beyond that, we find our own fun and cherish each moment, as it happens. |