How A Simple Life Brings Clarity

Are You Climbing a Mountain You Don’t Want to Climb?

When you hear the phrase, “simple life,” what picture comes to mind? For many, a simple life means living frugally, like a toothless hermit on the backside of the Alaskan wilderness eating berries and raw bear meat. That’s one way to look at it. Not I. I’m not that hearty. Heck, when I watch a Hallmark Christmas movie and see the actresses walking down a snowy path in sleeveless gowns, I shiver. I do like a little comfort as a side dish to my simple life like air conditioning, indoor plumbing with a water heater, and an occasional doughnut. I don’t reuse toilet paper even though it has two sides.

Simplicity is more than being a cheapskate. I like Rebecca Crespo’s simple definition of simple:

“Discover what’s important to you and get rid of all else.”

She’s onto something with this simple definition. Simple living means discovering and verbalizing what is most important to you and then adjusting your choices, behaviors, and habits accordingly. Everything else is optional.

So if you are interested in simplifying your life, start the process by asking yourself what are the most important things (MIT’s). Go ahead and start your list before you read further. I’ll wait.