The idea of "simple living" sounds so luxurious. I've tried to slow down to find more simplicity but what I'm finding in my mid-life/empty nest life is that I'd like to...but LIFE doesn't let me. Maybe that's just an excuse but I feel like the life I have - one kid in college, one kid graduated moving to east coast, my mom (lives local) needing much more of my time, one of my brother also needing help and my time, my many hobbies, my part time jobs, time with my husband and I haven't even started on his family hee hee - ANYWAY, I feel like I CAN'T slow down even if I try so very hard. But I'm not giving up on trying...I'm just saying it feels very hard.
Great post, I love hearing you reflect on this! I am wondering what you think about “simple living” versus having “a full life” are these two things in conflict? From what I have seen “simplicity” is used a lot in marketing and books as an ideology probably because so many people desire it. But then people also desire a life full of meaning which usually involves commitments, relationships, work, etc. I have seen retired people have a very simple life but in a way where they aren’t really fulfilled but then it’s also true that feeling like you are overcommitted and scattered detracts from your peace. Maybe it is a continuum that you have to constantly adjust to find the balance that is right for you and if you are feeling called towards simplicity there might be things to cut down on now and perhaps you will be in a place later where you will want to take on more.
SUCH good questions/observations, all of them. And I was having some similar thoughts earlier - the point of "simplifying" should not be, in my opinion, simply reducing your obligations to other people/your community, nor doing less work. I think you're right that it's more about the over-commitment, particularly to physical things you don't care as much about and especially when the upkeep and maintenance of those things detracts from the what IS most important to you. I also like your comment about having to "constantly" adjust to find the balance, because maybe this is just all a practice, right? It might be really misguided (and part of the reason we are so easily sold "solutions" for simplicity) to believe that there's some formula or set of rules we can create that will mean we never get off balance and our lives will never feel complicated. Anyway, thanks for the food for thought, Mandy!
You are welcome!! Definitely agree detracting from the things that are meaningful to you is something to work on and probably not a quick fix. I wonder if there is anyone out there that does feel like their life is simple and why? And if they like it that way? Or maybe content is a better descriptor but it would be interesting to see if that’s something you can “achieve” or what the people who feel like they are living that way have prioritized.
The idea of "simple living" sounds so luxurious. I've tried to slow down to find more simplicity but what I'm finding in my mid-life/empty nest life is that I'd like to...but LIFE doesn't let me. Maybe that's just an excuse but I feel like the life I have - one kid in college, one kid graduated moving to east coast, my mom (lives local) needing much more of my time, one of my brother also needing help and my time, my many hobbies, my part time jobs, time with my husband and I haven't even started on his family hee hee - ANYWAY, I feel like I CAN'T slow down even if I try so very hard. But I'm not giving up on trying...I'm just saying it feels very hard.
Great post, I love hearing you reflect on this! I am wondering what you think about “simple living” versus having “a full life” are these two things in conflict? From what I have seen “simplicity” is used a lot in marketing and books as an ideology probably because so many people desire it. But then people also desire a life full of meaning which usually involves commitments, relationships, work, etc. I have seen retired people have a very simple life but in a way where they aren’t really fulfilled but then it’s also true that feeling like you are overcommitted and scattered detracts from your peace. Maybe it is a continuum that you have to constantly adjust to find the balance that is right for you and if you are feeling called towards simplicity there might be things to cut down on now and perhaps you will be in a place later where you will want to take on more.
SUCH good questions/observations, all of them. And I was having some similar thoughts earlier - the point of "simplifying" should not be, in my opinion, simply reducing your obligations to other people/your community, nor doing less work. I think you're right that it's more about the over-commitment, particularly to physical things you don't care as much about and especially when the upkeep and maintenance of those things detracts from the what IS most important to you. I also like your comment about having to "constantly" adjust to find the balance, because maybe this is just all a practice, right? It might be really misguided (and part of the reason we are so easily sold "solutions" for simplicity) to believe that there's some formula or set of rules we can create that will mean we never get off balance and our lives will never feel complicated. Anyway, thanks for the food for thought, Mandy!
You are welcome!! Definitely agree detracting from the things that are meaningful to you is something to work on and probably not a quick fix. I wonder if there is anyone out there that does feel like their life is simple and why? And if they like it that way? Or maybe content is a better descriptor but it would be interesting to see if that’s something you can “achieve” or what the people who feel like they are living that way have prioritized.