The Value Of Simplicity
By Joan Pingatore (8/29/2008)

It’s a common saying ~ “The simple things in life are the best”. Isn’t that what we believe? Well…wait a minute…by our actions do we really seem to think so? Aren’t we happiest because we have a spacious house, impressive appliances, at least one new car, several large TV’s, a cell phone for every family member, multiple sporting vehicles, elaborate electronic toys, 40 pairs of shoes and more clothing than we can possibly wear?

Aren’t we glad that we can eat out several times a week, go on fancy vacations, give our kids everything they want, and pay someone to clean our home, or our car and our laundry? Shouldn’t we be just floating on air, happy as a lark, because we’re equal to or ahead of the Joneses?

Now folks, statistics show that we are not any happier but in reality, we are more time-pressed, more stressed and less satisfied with our lives. Why is this so? Don’t material comforts bring us everything we want? Don’t they remove those feelings of insecurity and make us feel loved and powerful? Don’t they prove that we’re successful and that we can accomplish anything? Why then, do we feel so deflated sometimes? Why do some of us have an “empty” feeling, or the feeling that there should somehow just be “more” to life? Do you sometimes feel lost or not connected to who you really are or what you want to be? Do you sometimes dread getting out of bed because of the pressures of the day ahead of you? Surprisingly, however, there is something you can do about this. You can become happier and less stressed, by simplifying your life.

Voluntary Simplicity

Voluntary simplicity is a growing movement of people who have realized that happiness and fulfillment do not lie in having more money, or new and bigger things, but rather in the time with loved ones and the connection with self and community. Simplicity is not about doing without, but it is about enjoying, even delighting in, a life that is uncluttered in every possible way—physically, emotionally, spiritually—in terms of things, relationships and obligations. It is about finding balance in your life, connecting with who you are, and creating a lifestyle where you wake up each morning feeling a sense of fulfillment and excitement about the day ahead. Voluntary simplicity is a conscious choice to simplify your life and a deliberate downshifting of high stress jobs, extra work hours, scheduled activities, and constant spending- to create the life and home environment that fit you and your family.

Benefits to individuals and society

Simplicity means doing/having/living more with less--more time, meaning, joy, satisfaction, and relationships; and less material possessions, stress, competition, and isolation. It doesn’t mean depriving yourself; it doesn’t mean buying “cheap” and always pinching pennies; it doesn’t mean poverty. It does mean wanting what you have, and enjoying having less; and recovering the connection with family, other people and with the earth that alone, makes life really worthwhile.
Other benefits are~ less ill health, more opportunity to exercise and do satisfying physical work and to do the things you enjoy, and a general re-prioritizing of values from a focus on materialism to a focus on relationships. And less spending equals less debt, more savings and more security.
And the benefits when people live a voluntarily simple life go beyond the individual and the family. Benefits to society as a whole and to the earth are significant, and include: less pollution, congestion and accidents from transportation; less need for manufacturing and power plants from reduced demand- thus less environmental impact; less crime due to community cohesiveness; and a blossoming of local community culture-arts, music, etc.

Some ways to simplify and spend less ~ (you can think of more)
De-clutter your house. Go through clothes, kitchenware, knickknacks, gadgets, small appliances and other possessions and give away or recycle some. You don’t need them !

Try to buy foods when they are on sale and try eating out less and cooking more meals from scratch. Make larger quantities and freeze the extra for quick meals later. And grow your own produce if you can. You’ll save money, packaging and eat healthier.

Learn to mend clothing, toys, furniture and other items. It’s very satisfying to know you fixed it yourself, and there’s less waste for landfills.

Instead of going to a movie, or paid entertainment, invite some friends over to play a challenging game, or take your family to the many free activities that are available- parks, art shows, local concerts, festivals, nature walks, etc.

Nix some of the faraway vacations and explore places closer to home, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Save money on travel, accommodations and expensive food.

Ride public transit or a bicycle to get around. If possible, reduce your cars from two or more to one. You’ll save thousands of dollars every year.

Encourage your children to cut down on organized activities. There’s a lot they can do at home to get exercise and to develop their mind and spirit. Life will be calmer and you’ll spend less time and gas getting there.

Buy many clothes and household items second-hand. You’ll get much better quality for your money, you’ll be recycling and you’ll beat the “marketing” game.

Reuse and recycle everything you can. You’ll need to buy much less new stuff. Check out >freecycle.org<.

If the opportunities arise to reduce your workload and heavy schedules, take advantage of them. You’ll be rewarded in your new-found freedom.

Get off mailing lists. Write to Direct Marketing Association at >dmachoice.org< to have your name removed from lists sold to catalog companies and other mail solicitors. This will reduce your mail by up to 80%, save paper and trees, and decrease your exposure to tempting merchandise.
Search the web for “voluntary simplicity” for support and more ideas.

Today, even many big executives and CEO’s of large corporations are stepping down to achieve a simplified way of life. They’ve realized that the stress just isn’t worth it, as they’ve lost family time and the “simple pleasures” that they need to be healthy and fulfilled. When some were interviewed on the show 60 Minutes, they’ve said that they don’t even miss all the material things that they thought made them “happy”. Many other people are working part-time or cutting out overtime, especially in two-income families to reduce stress and reconnect. Now, don’t kid yourself that you can’t afford to… really… you can’t afford not to. And… who cares about the Joneses anyway?

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. Laura Ingalls Wilder

There are great organizations and help groups on the web to get you started, and here are some good books on the subject :

~Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich, (Revised edition) by Duane Elgin
~The Simple Living Guide: A Sourcebook for Less Stressful, More Joyful Living, by Janet Luhrs (New York: Broadway Books, 1997).
~The Value of Voluntary Simplicity, by Richard Gregg (Wallingford, PA: Pendle Hill, 1936). Philosophical essay on the need and benefits of living more simply. Still relevant for the 21st century. Author coined term “voluntary simplicity.”