Simplify

I’ve read extensively about the simple life and what that means to different people. It’s all a matter of perspective. Some think it means to own 100 items or less. Others think being able to fit into a tiny house or a van. Rich people may consider downsizing from 4 houses to one, or ten cars to two as the simple life. If we compare how we live in America to how a humble peasant in South America or a Bushman in Africa lives, it would be eye-opening. To me, the simple life means having very little more than what you actually need. I’m actually not there yet. My van is large enough that I can store many items that I rarely use, or even have never used once yet.
I once set out to list all my possessions, when I still lived at my 275 square foot house in Macleay. After a dozen pages were filled, I gave up. It would be easier now that almost everything I have is in my van. But I bet there would still be many pages, even if I didn’t list each book or utensil individually. I could eliminate a quarter of my belongings without pain, half of them if I had to downsize into a smaller vehicle. But I haven’t felt the urgency of doing so yet. The only harm it is doing me right now is a slight reduction in gas mileage.
Farmers have a reputation of hanging on to nearly useless items, just in case they might need it. Their outbuildings are often stuffed with broken farm equipment and bargains from yard sales. Then they have to build more sheds or barns to hold it all. My brother Dennis was a farmer and used to spend time in winters, straightening bent nails. I’m sure he often found uses for stuff that he just couldn’t part with. And that’s commendable, up to a point, to be thrifty and recycle. But possessions can overwhelm a person, too, to the point that they lose track of what they have and where it costs more to store it than it’ll ever be worth. He rarely got rid of any of his cars or farm equipment, once they quit working. Then mice would move into them, and eat all the wiring and upholstery. Then that stuff truly is worthless.
One of my co-workers in California worked as the garbage man. He would pick through all the trash that campers left behind and save anything of even marginal value. He rented a house nearby and it was stuffed to the ceilings with nearly worthless stuff. The yard and sheds were also full. That caused a lot of work and expense for him when he lost his job and got evicted from the house later.
The simple life is about more than belongings, though. It is also a state of mind. Busyness is a hallmark of our civilization. We are always on the go, eating on the run, with constant noise from radios or TVs. Multitasking seems to be a necessity or the daily chores don’t seem to get done. Some things truly are important; like personal hygiene, paying the bills, eating properly, spending time with family, etc. But much of our daily lives are just filled with time-wasting frivolities, that mean nothing in the long run. Stripping life down to what’s important and good should be our goal.
Again, I still fall short, despite all my reading and head-knowledge about simplicity. I think I do better than most at managing my time towards positive endeavors, but there is much room for improvement. Living in a van simplifies much, especially on yardwork and housecleaning. So I have more time to study interesting subjects, go for hikes, socialize with worthwhile people, write blog posts, and just be in the moment. But I still do foolish things with my free time; like spending much time surfing online, watching mindless movies, or doing Sudoku puzzles. Life slips by and valuable time gets wasted. And I can’t even say that I always enjoy these things. Sometimes I just do them out of boredom or because I’m too lazy to apply myself to something more worthwhile.
So, the simple life involves less possessions and less busyness with our time. It also has to do with our minds, dwelling on one subject at a time. Focusing on important subjects should be a priority for us, instead of letting our thoughts flit around trivial matters. In the Bible, it says to think on what is good. That counteracts against the constant negativity of the news, the cynicism of today’s humor, the pessimism found in politics, the frustration with financial matters, etc. There should be a constant search for more wisdom and useful knowledge. Mediating on that assists with draining away the foolishness of so much of modern life. And one should never underestimate the importance of getting into nature; for clearing one’s mind, improving mental and physical health, and resting the eyes from reading and close-up work.
Lastly, the simple life should be about personal finances, as well. The less bills, the less spent overall, frivolous expenditures; the less one has to worry and fret about. That’s why it’s good to avoid going into debt, getting addicted to anything (cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, gambling, junk food, shopping, caffeine), being influenced by ads. If a person can reduce spending, he can also reduce his working time. So much of earnings go towards unnecessary and harmful desires, that do nothing for improving one’s quality of physical or mental life. The book “Your Money Or Your Life” gets into both the psychological and fiscal commonsense of examining and eliminating most of your economic wants, in order to lower worry and time working. Great book!
I’ve been reading about Peace Pilgrim lately, a lady who owned virtually nothing. She traveled around America, Mexico, and Canada, advocating for peace. She walked tens of thousands of miles, carrying little. This lasted for 30 years. She was deeply religious and passionate about her cause. Leaving those aside, she understood true simplicity in all its aspects. That’s taking the simple life to the extreme. But no one is required to go that far. The closer one gets to the simple life, the better their life becomes. Henry David Thoreau was another who went to the extreme on the simple life. By reducing expenditures to the minimum, he freed up his time to think deeply and write some very influential books about many subjects. I am an amateur, compared to those two, but it isn’t a contest. The ultimate goal and prize of the simple life is contentment and happiness.