Living a simple life isn’t as much about how as it is about why.
We can spend time repeatedly uncluttering our spaces, clearing away excess and collecting the next streamlined agenda to help us simplify time, money and things, but if we don’t take time to deal with why we’re longing for a simple life and what’s stopping us, we most likely will find ourselves circling back through the same cycle over and over again.
Personally, I think it takes a bit of a brave heart to dive into ‘why’ because in asking, we are admitting that something isn’t working for us. We’re opening ourselves up to discovering what’s hindering us from getting there. And we’re showing a willingness to ask ourselves some deeper, harder questions.
The kind of questions that have the power to get us unstuck and propel us forward toward greater joy, freedom, and balance. When we invest in the why, we begin to realize that maybe we’ve been too attached to the wrong things, believed the wrong things and sought after the wrong things.
Maybe what hinders us from living a simple life is seeking the outward fix instead of fixing the inward first. Share on XI began truly looking inward about a year ago, after selling the home all of my children were raised in and making the choice not to purchase another right away. After 22 years in one place, we had no idea where we wanted to start over again, and we needed some time to re-evaluate what was important to us.
It has been a big change but one I was so ready for. But the sale and move happened so quickly, I didn’t have the time I wanted to simplify 22 years of possessions. So, the first choice I made was to only unpack what I needed and leave the rest of the boxes stored.
I must confess that I didn’t use this same principle when it came to my clothes. I brought all of them into our rental home…too many clothes. But the good news is that as a result of working through my ‘why,’ I’m also working through my wardrobe. As I’m digging deeper into why I’ve been hanging on to that little black dress (for 20 years), I’m realizing it’s not about the dress. It’s about so much more.
All of that misplaced more has been keeping me from finding freedom in less…Less doing, less striving, less wanting. And MORE living.
Why?
Truthfully, my why is probably the same as yours.
If we are honest, we can admit that our things feed our need for security.
Our packed schedules feed our need for significance.
Our complicated lifestyle feeds our need for status.
In seeking a simple life, it's not until we wrestle with our 'why' that we will be able to let go of what we think is important and choose what is best. Share on XWhat I’ve discovered in the past year, is that I don’t need very much to be happy. It has been so freeing that I don’t want to stop.
I don’t need the hope of that little black dress to make me feel more significant, more valuable, more accepted. I don’t need to hang on to things because I fear I won’t have what I need when I need it. I don’t need to fill every minute of my schedule because I have to prove my worth.
And neither do you.
How about we dive into the ‘why’ together? There’s no need for judgment; only truth and compassion. We’ll take it slowly because each new step forward will empower us to take one more. But let’s do this right by looking inward and asking ourselves the harder questions first. If we do, the ‘how’ will come.
Why do I need my stuff?
What am I hanging on to?
Why can’t I let go of something that I haven’t used in so long?
What does my stuff say about me?
Why am I so busy?
What brings me security?
Why do I want a simpler life?
Let’s start slow and end strong. We have 6 weeks to tackle the easy stuff, so let’s begin by facing our struggle. We know the struggle is real, but we also know it’s not impossible. We’ll be stronger, happier and ready to push through to other side if we begin at the beginning.
Because a simple life is so worth it!
“Change is difficult but not impossible. Change is painful but not debilitating. Change is work but it is worth it. Change is welcomed when the long-term benefits are perceived to be greater than the short-term difficulties. Keep reminding yourself of the ‘why’ and then you can happily deal with the ‘how.”
DOWNLOAD YOUR WEEK 1 SIMPLE LIFE WORKSHEET FROM THE SOUL-HOPE CAFE
What if we could find greater freedom, joy, and balance by wanting less, living with less and sharing more? What if we could loosen our grip on the things that bring false security and find the kind of balance that shifts the weight of anxiety toward solid faith? What if decluttering our inside could result in real joy on the outside?
THE SIMPLE LIFE SERIES – 6 Weeks to MORE Freedom, Joy, and Balance. We’ll tackle the impossible, clear away the old and make space for what matters most.
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