The Journey of Living Simply

I took a chilly morning walk about to take photos for a photography contest in which the subject is "Simplicity".  Such a fitting topic for January and I was reminded of how I have made it a habit for most of my life to clear the clutter, with the goal of simplifying life, at least twice a year....one of those times being January 1st. My goodness but life has become much more complex then back when it was just cleaning my room and my closet.

Living Simply has become increasingly challenging what in this digital world we have our home life, family life, work life, online life, Blackberry, Emails, Facebook, long working hours, family commitments etc. When they told me in high school (I was an 80's teenager that grew up with movies like Working Girl) the world was our oyster and we could have it all....a fabulously successful career, a doting husband, beautiful children, a loving and peaceful home.  They failed to mention who was going to cook dinner every night, do laundry, grocery shop and clean my bathrooms every week while I was out enjoying my oyster, commuting to work, dropping kids off, lunching with friends, attending industry events and conferences, and trying make time for family and friends. Never mind time such as traveling, participating in hobbies, getting to the gym or taking a walk/run,  family events, or add a home renovation or a house move just to add more pressure for time to your already busy schedule??

When do we find time for friends, our own hobbies, a long bath...a good book? Something has to give sometimes and you only hope that your friends and family will understand when you find yourself at times having to prioritize your life in order to keep it simple.  Certainly it's not always going to work out perfectly and then again there are times when you yourself will have to show some flexibility towards others.

 A Living Simple Manifesto that I found on the website www.zenhabits.net "smile, breath, go slowly" listed some ways in which we can simplify our lives. (http://zenhabits.net/simple-living-manifesto-72-ideas-to-simplify-your-life/). I love the first part as it talks about Living Simply being a journey, not a destination, two steps forward and one step back. There are 72 suggestions but here is an excerpt of the page with a short list of suggestions:


"A simple life has a different meaning and a different value for every person. For me, it means eliminating all but the essential, eschewing chaos for peace, and spending your time doing what’s important to you.

It means getting rid of many of the things you do so you can spend time with people you love and do the things you love. It means getting rid of the clutter so you are left with only that which gives you value.

However, getting to simplicity isn’t always a simple process. It’s a journey, not a destination, and it can often be a journey of two steps forward, and one backward.

The Short List
For the cynics who say that the list below is too long, there are really only two steps to simplifying:

1. Identify what’s most important to you.
2. Eliminate everything else."

Hope you enjoy these from my photo walk about! Happy MMXL everyone, wishing you a peaceful and prosperous and....simple....year! xox