Living simply might be a concept hard to grasp in our modern age. With houses increasing in size even as our families shrink in number, consumer goods proliferating our media and calls to buy, buy, buy hitting our senses at every turn, we can certainly be forgiven for thinking that the only way to live is by consuming – this is just not true. There is a great Swedish proverb that states, “He who buys what he doesn’t need, steals from himself.” What in fact you “steal” from yourself is peace-of-mind, financial security and your sense of well-being.
Living simply takes practice and self-discipline. Although seemingly easy to do, it actually requires mindfulness and a commitment to only buying what you truly need and to letting go of attachments to objects. Basing your happiness on your own accomplishments and inner peace instead of relying on things to make you smile.
The first thing to decluttering and simplifying your life is to sort through your belongings and to get rid of what you haven’t used in over a year. If you haven’t worn it, used it or even remembered that you have it, then you really don’t need – no matter what you believe. Keep only those items that are useful to own and for which you do have a practical use. Discard any old objects. If you have items of sentimental value, it is okay to hang on to them – as long as they are not taking up too much space and cluttering up your life.
Here are some other ways to simplify your life:
Pay off your debt
Sell off what you don’t really need
Give-away old clothing that you don’t wear anymore
Organize what you have
Benefits of simplifying your life:
More free time
Less feelings of stress due to attachment to objects
More space
More money
Less cleaning to do
Decrease your eco-footprint
Although a simplified lifestyle isn’t for everyone, regardless of who you are, even the smallest change to your lifestyle will produce great results.
Living simply takes practice and self-discipline. Although seemingly easy to do, it actually requires mindfulness and a commitment to only buying what you truly need and to letting go of attachments to objects. Basing your happiness on your own accomplishments and inner peace instead of relying on things to make you smile.
The first thing to decluttering and simplifying your life is to sort through your belongings and to get rid of what you haven’t used in over a year. If you haven’t worn it, used it or even remembered that you have it, then you really don’t need – no matter what you believe. Keep only those items that are useful to own and for which you do have a practical use. Discard any old objects. If you have items of sentimental value, it is okay to hang on to them – as long as they are not taking up too much space and cluttering up your life.
Here are some other ways to simplify your life:
Pay off your debt
Sell off what you don’t really need
Give-away old clothing that you don’t wear anymore
Organize what you have
Benefits of simplifying your life:
More free time
Less feelings of stress due to attachment to objects
More space
More money
Less cleaning to do
Decrease your eco-footprint
Although a simplified lifestyle isn’t for everyone, regardless of who you are, even the smallest change to your lifestyle will produce great results.
