On Being a Poor Consumer

I came across a statement in a book on simplicity that caused me to stop, reread it, and then think about it.

"When people reach this stage of self-acceptance, they often make very poor consumers, because if they are enough they may not need or want more."

Simple Prosperity, Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle

David Wann was writing in reference to the idea of having enough.

Most, if not all, people I know have enough of every material possession they need. In fact, frankly, they usually have more than enough. Why is it that we, myself included, think we need more? More clothes, more shoes, more books, more dishes, more furniture, more cars, more toys. We have enough, really we do.

In fact, I often hear the comment, "I really need to declutter! I want my life to be simpler!" A simple life contains just the right number and kind of possessions to maintain that life. How do we determine what is 'enough' for a simple life and how do we go about attaining that balance? The basic answer is to get rid of what you don't use! If an item is not useful or beautiful, you don't love it, or if it has a sad memory attached to it, throw it away or give it away!

While I am not a hoarder or compulsive shopper, I do have clutter, quite a lot of clutter, around. It's time to delclutter and find out how little is enough. I think I like the idea of being a poor consumer.

A Simple Life Is An Uncluttered Life

I have been pondering Kiti's comment about the notion that getting a simple life is not merely learning the rules, memorizing the list, testing the practice test, and bingo! your life is simple. That's not how it works. Kiti's post started me thinking about simplicity and sent me, of all places, books.

I dropped by the local library one afternoon and typed 'simple living' in to the book search in the library database. Ninety-seven hits. Most of the books were not in our local branch but had to be placed on holds and sent over. I have picked up three volumes already and have spent several hours reading about the history of simplicity in the US, about how to becomes simple cooks, and about how to support world justic through simplicity. All these topics are right and good and interesting. But what we need first, before we can expand our horizons to our community and our world, is simplicity in our daily lives.

Simplicity in daily life. That's the focal point, the beginning. Simplicity has to start in our attitudes.

Ask yourself these questions.

Is your life cluttered and chaotic? If your personal life is chaotic and cluttered, it is likely that your personal space is too. If your life is disorganized and overwhelmed, your home will reflect the state of your being.

Is this immobilization, this fear, this sense of overwhelmed chaos what you want in your life? Or do you want a calm and courageous life?

I remember the day I decided that I would rather have a clean, calm and uncluttered home, that I would gladly give up my piles of possessions that gave me protection from fear and comfort from whatever it was that frightened me, than live in the mess that surrounded me and kept me paralyzed in clutter. The change occurred inside of me first. Then I was able to let go of the clutter that created the complexity in my life that kept me from living the joyful simple life I wanted. I am still on this journey. Some days, weeks, years are simpler than others. But having a calm and uncluttered home is still my goal.

Did you notice that my journey began with a decision, an attitude adjustment? That is where everyone's journey to simplicity begins. In your head. So I offer you the first step.

Make ONE change in your attitude and routine this week. You get to make the decision what it will be. It might help to tell someone else about your choice and request that person keep you accountable for your behavior and attitude.

My choice is a simple one. This week I will wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen after I eat. I do not like washing dishes, so even though this seems simple, it will require a major attitude adjustment for me.

And I will continue to read through the library books-I know my attitudes will continue to change and reflect my desire for a simple life!

La Dolce Vita

I started this simplicity web magazine several months ago, and haven't done very much with it. I have invited some people to contribute, and I hope that we will all do so soon, and on a somewhat regular basis. When I began toying with the idea of "Simple Pleasures", I kind of thought that I could learn about simplicity, and use this as a forum to encourage others to find simplicity and make it a goal in their own lives.

That was a fail.

I realized that I still struggle with getting anything about my life to be simple, and I haven't been able to just learn it, as though I could achieve it by memorizing a list of facts or principles. Instead, I'm going to have to begin by trying to figure out how to even "do" anything that could be termed "simple", and I can document my own struggles here.

There is joy in the journey, after all.

Upcoming

I hope to soon provide you with thoughts from Mama Mia, who has thoughts on living deliberately, loving beauty, giving grace, and working in the garden.

The Doom of Busy

A busy life begs for more, not less, attention to simplicity. I had a busy day; I completed so many items on my to-do list, and relished the rush that came with crossing off each item. I washed and dried and folded laundry; I chased a baby and two cats around the house; I ran errands, feeling the crunch of the looming 5:00 pm deadline (End of business day! The world stops!). Believe me when I say it was crazy: I had to put my baby son in a videoconference call just so he could see his father for a few minutes. While driving (in my car that is disintegrating, slowly but surely), the thoughts crowded into my head, reminding me of all the blogging that I haven't been doing for months. "I'm so busy," I thought. "I don't have time to write about simplicity and the simple pleasures of life." And yet, what better time to write? What better person to represent the struggle to simplify, to live meaningfully, than one whose life naturally tends toward the opposite extreme of chaos? Simplicity very well may come easily to some. In my life, it is something for which I must consciously strive, every day.

Don't let the doom of being busy drive you away from your goal of simplicity and a calm life under control. It is a downward spiral, to be sure, and the busier you are, the busier still you will become. Instead, just breathe. Rest. Be mindful of what is important. Take time to sharpen the saw, as Mr. Covey would say, and you'll be happier and more productive as a result.

Sleep, Baby, Sleep

I spent far too long tonight attempting to get my little one to go to sleep and stay asleep. Fortunately, his grandpa was there to work his magic and get him to dreamland, so it all ended well. But while I was carrying the boy, swaying back and forth while holding him so that he could stare at the mesmerizing ceiling fan, I thought about how precious these moments really are. Most of the time, I'm so tired that I am impatient, in a hurry to get them over with, and I fail to appreciate what it really means to hold a precious life in my arms. I might as well cherish these times, since I am apparently destined to never forget them: Thirty-one years after the fact, my mother still makes a point of reminiscing about my own refusal to sleep as a baby.

Holding a baby, nuzzling the oh-so-soft neck, hearing the laughs that are like enchanted fairy bugles... these are the sweetest of life's simple pleasures.

The Simple Life

It is a challenge to aspire to simplicity when living in one of the least simple places in the world: Southern California. [Need I convince you? One word: freeways.] I think it is worth the effort to take on that challenge, however. My parents are rather good at modeling simplicity. I'd like to learn. I am attempting to be a real person, a person who embraces simplicity not as a fad or tool for self-improvement, but rather as a foundational principle of that most elusive of thing, the good life.

Socrates would assert, no doubt, that the good life is one of earnest contemplation and self-examination. Aristotle would advocate order, moderation, and a sort of benificent pragmatism. For Confucius, it might be the pursuit of perfection of virtue. Me? I'm lucky to make it through a day without any major screw-ups. I haven't realized the good life yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I get there.