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10 Basic Principles to Living Simply
How to Live a Simple, Happy Life
Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify, simplify.
The beginning of the journey
A few years ago I was gripped with an urgency to simplify. I was tired and overwhelmed with the amount of work it took to sustain the lifestyle I had worked so hard to achieve. My emotional connection to things, stuff, material possessions, and even my beautiful dream home, began to loosen. Little did I know this was preparation for what was to come.
This was a year before we knew we were moving and two years before I would lose my job. With intention, we pursued a smaller, simpler, easier to clean house in a small town away from malls and stores.
I began rediscovering things I used to do and things that brought me joy: gardening, animals, walking, sitting on a covered porch in the rain. Slowly, I was regaining some margin in my life, some empty space in my head and heart.
I think we need to learn how to tolerate more empty spaces. — Sarah Ban Breathnach
When I lost my job it was an opportunity to pursue my true passion (writing), and here’s the catch: because we had been intentional about simplifying and downsizing I felt no panic and urgency to jump right back…
