Can You Accept A Life of Simplicity?

Big house, beach cottage, evenings out, dining out, and those high paying jobs; do these sound familiar? Is this the lifestyle that you enjoy or want? Well, we didn't. Sure we had a lot of material things but we also had to endure the constant stress of demanding jobs, a long commute through clogged highways just to get home in time for a quick meal, or, more often, a fast food meal because we didn't have the time or energy to cook.

After our rushed meal, it was usually a few minutes, yes minutes with the kids, before we dove into the pile of never ending office work needed to be done before the next day began. And, when Friday came, it was a rush home, if you could rush in rush-hour traffic, just to throw some things in the car to make that two-hour drive to the cottage along with all the other people who were trying to escape the city. So, once at the cottage do you think it was all relaxation? Not likely - the office work always seemed to follow us demanding even some of our so-called relaxation time.

When we decided to change our lifestyle to one of simplicity, we had to make a commitment to see it through. We had to give up our high paying jobs, a secure paycheck, those fancy evenings out, the cottage, and all those "wants" that seemed to always be there. But, when we seriously looked at what we really wanted, that is to live a more simple life with the option to do what we wanted, where we wanted, and when we wanted, we knew it wouldn't always be easy.

With this commitment to lead a simple life came the sale of our cottage, giving up our jobs, and moving to a new province. But, what we found was a country property on a beautiful wooded parcel of land that one could never duplicate for what we paid. In truth, learning to live a simple life also meant, for us, leading a more frugal life. There wasn't the security of our jobs, or for that matter, we were more than 30 miles away from the nearest city so a new career with that commute through wooded land was out of the question.

To make the story short, we started out own small craft business to give us a modest income. Was it as easy as it sounds? No. But, on the other hand, when our lifestyle change is what we really wanted, sacrifices were much more tolerable. Our true riches came to us gradually - riches in our free spirit, to explore new horizons without having to answer to anyone. Our riches were found in our togetherness, our kindred spirit, our love for nature, and the daily journey to find even more ways to simplify our lives.

If you long for a life of simplicity, ask yourself what you really want - not need - but want. Simplicity isn't just a destination; simplicity becomes an integral part of who you are. It is a habit that flows freely in your relationships with others, how you approach and resolve challenges, and how you create a life where stressors are minimized and small accomplishments celebrated.