Is there such a thing as a "simple life"?

Question

By simple I mean: If the simple life without any clutter etc is simple, it would be easy... Is there a time in a person's life where everything is "simple"?

Answer 1

What do you mean by 'a simple life'?

To me, a simple life would mean something like:

- Only owning what you need.
You own very little 'clutter'. Clothing that does not fit, games you rarely play, toiletries you decided you don't like, kitchen items you rarely use- gone.

- Buying things intelligently.
You think about the purchases- do you really need it, does something you already own do the job, can you rent or borrow the item, can you get it used or cheaper somewhere else?

The other aspect of buying intelligently is making sure that the item fits your real needs. Does this MP3 player have features and capabiltiies I really need? Would I be just as well off listening to my radio or cassettes? Does this purchase demand that I buy other stuff, does it lock me into a limited format?

- Relationships that help you grow.
Does this person give you joy or do they drain you? Does this job offer personal growth or teach you new things, or is it a drag? People living simple lives seem to cherish other people- recognizing that other people offer us so much and being with good people is a powerful thing. (Just to clarify, a real friend with troubles is not a drain on you, but that office gossip might be.)

- Positive use of time.
It would quickly become a habit to use your time well, and to recognize that time spent just dreaming is often time spent well. A person living a simple life would often be out at activities or out with friends, but when home could easily spend an evening alone or with a spouse without a TV.

- A simple diet.
Shopping for fresh foods would become a part of the joy of a simple life. Meals would be as fresh as possible, healthy and tasty, easy to prepare and clean up from, etc.




Without going on in this vein, I think this is a positive goal to work towards. To get going on it, I would:

1. Eliminate TV, except as a screen for playing movies... maybe. Along with this goes video games and 'just playing on the computer'.

2. De-clutter your life, starting with the closets. Take a closet or a room at a time and get rid of everything you don't need, don't like, don't use, etc. Garage sale it if you want, but get rid of it quickly. Declutter your schedule as well- what do you do with your time that you'd rather use for something else?

3. Look at your eating habits. What of your diet is expensive junk? Too much fast food?

The key issue is making choices- ignoring the hype and noise that demands you buy this or do that.

Is the simple life an easy life to start? Obviously not- for most of us this is atough thing to get going on- lots of bad habits we need to break!

Answer 2

Not any more, I had it in the 1930's

Answer 3

Sure. It's not common, and it's not easy, but you can take steps to make your life more simple.

It's all about how you perceive things, how you handle things.

Answer 4

Yes, When your a child and you don't really have a care in the world and no bills to pay for yet.