About a year ago, b and I read a good book called Tis a Gift to be Simple. It's about simplifying your life from a spiritual and Biblical perspective - learning how to live a life that is quieter, more thoughtful, more concerned with knowing God and helping people, as opposed to getting richer and gaining more status in society. I'm not talking about walking around in a burlap sack and eating nothing but bean sprouts here. I just mean pointing life in a different direction: away from "more, more, more!" and toward something far cooler and more fulfilling.Ever since reading the book, we've been on a quest to simplify our lives. Everything from the way we spend our money and time to what we eat at the dinner table. I have to be honest, while I enthusiastically launched this effort with b, I was also wondering in the back of my mind if this would be like many other "self improvement" efforts - exciting and rewarding in the beginning, somewhat boring and tedious in the middle, and fizzling out to nothing in the end. I was also just a teeny bit worried about having to wear a burlap sack.
A year later, however, life for our little family has simplified considerably. And it has been such a blessing. I am so glad we made these changes, and I look forward to making more. We haven't succeeded completely - we still have a long way to go. But one step at a time, we are getting farther away from materialism and "the coolness of being too busy" and closer to the kind of life we believe God wants us to lead. And I still get to wear my normal clothes. No burlap sacks.
In a three-part series, I will be blogging about our efforts. I'll write about our successes, our failures, and our plans for the future.
Part 1: hurray for cheap cars and walking!
Part 2: simple food tastes good
Part 3: being "too busy" is not actually that cool
Look for Part 1 coming soon. Also - if you are taking steps to simplify your own life, I'd love to hear from you. And if you wear a burlap sack - send pictures!
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7 comments:
Great article Brad. Our simplification began with our move to Corvallis. I gave up my gallery, which I co-owned, which was a huge thing to do. Although it never earned much income, it defiinatly fit in with that "too busy for life" way of being. We have always been simple spenders, ie: cheap, so that wasn't major change. We aren't very stuff oriented, we've decided to keep our piece-o-crap car until it literally falls apart. Those shirts on our website are the first clothes that we have bought new in at least a year. My real challenge has been that this year I quit teaching, except volunteer, and it's taken some major adjustments. I am struggling to get my brain to calm down, for example to be able to read a book and feel okay with it. I guess my real challenge is simplifying my attitude or feeling like I always need to be doing something. I'm working on it, it's just going to take time to discover my inner-laziness. Good luck to you and B on your quest, you seem to really be walking your talk.
Angie - that's awesome. I know exactly what you mean. The "too busy for life" attitude was something I've had to overcome as well (I think I'm still working on it). But it is very cool to see someone like you who has taken actual steps to slow down their life and actually ENJOY living - reading books, raising chickens, etc.
Our society pressures people to feel like losers if they are not constantly achieving - getting more and doing more all the time. But b and I have been learning that getting more and doing more only wear you down without bringing any more happiness or satisfaction.
ANdrew and I discussed simplifieng last night...we came up with that we bake and cook a lot, when most new yorkers use their ovens to store shoes or something. IT's a start...
How do people in NY eat if they don't use their ovens?
Hippies. I'll never understand your strange ways.
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Sent from a Blackberry wireless
You and b have done an amazing job simplifying. I personally don't have any desire to raise my own chickens...and well I have a hard time keeping flowers pretty let alone produce.
We have simplified our schedule though. It has allowed for more quality family time, which has benefited us all. It has been wonderful to spend more evenings at home together instead of running around trying to be involved in everything.
Angel - I think simlifying the schedule is the most important thing. My last post in the series will be about that. All of the other things you can do to simplify are kind of meaningless if you don't do that. So good job!
Raging Dad - Zombie enthusiasts. I'll never understand your strange ways.
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