Ahh…The Simple Life

We all long for “The Simple Life.”  But what does that mean, and how do we ever achieve it?  When I think of the simple life, the Amish community always comes to mind because of their innate ability to live with so little.  They are truly an amazing group of people, and I admire the simplicity they’ve been able to pass down for generations.  Every farm is immaculate and in perfect order.  They work tirelessly from sun up to sun down.  They have no electricity.  Their laundry is neatly hung in a row out on the line, and the gardens look like photo shoots for a Better Homes and Garden magazine.  They wear plain clothing.  They don’t have telephones in their homes.  

It sounds like a simpler, less hectic way, but is it really?  While I’m sure that it does have its many advantages, for me personally, not having some of our modern conveniences, would certainly add more stress to my life.  I don’t know that I would want to live without electricity, or any of the conveniences that I take for granted.  For example, being without a phone for a while may be nice, but I love technology when it comes to communicating with my son in Texas, or daily chats with my daughter, or touching base with my hubby when he’s in another country on business.  (Skype then becomes my friend.)

So…how do we live a simple life in 2011?  Is it even possible?  Well let’s look at what “simplify” means.  There are several definitions that I came across when looking up the term, but the one I like the best is “to make less complex or complicated; make plainer or easier.”

Can we do that?  I believe we can.  We can certainly make our lives less complex or complicated by cutting back on activities that have no meaning or value.  How many things are you doing because you feel obligated, but your heart is really not in them?  Now granted, there are things in life that we need to do that we don’t necessarily like to do.  But I am talking about activities we put upon ourselves that drain us and we could just as easily do without.  Being involved in too many groups, too many sports activities, too many fund-raisers, etc., etc.  We need to set boundaries and learn to say “no” when appropriate.  We can know our limits and stick to them and teach our children how to do the same.

We can also make our lives less complex or complicated by being organized in our home, our business and our life in general.  I don’t know about you, but I cannot function in clutter.  I feel like a whole new person when my house is clean, and I know where to find things.  Is it always clean and tidy?  No.  (Especially with a Siberian Husky who is shedding right now)  But I try to carve out some time each week to re-organize and get things back in order again for the next week.  Taking 15 minutes to plan out your week can also be a lifesaver and make things run much more smoothly.

We can make our lives plainer or easier by letting everyone in the home know what their responsibilities are and by following through to make sure they carry them out.  When everyone pitches in, the load becomes much lighter, and working together can provide great times to connect with one another.

We can make our lives plainer or easier by preparing meals ahead of time, (the crock pot is also my friend) and sitting down to the table together as a family to share about the day instead of sitting in front of the television.  Turn off the TV and take time to enjoy one another's company.  Family relationships are well worth investing in.

There are so many ways to simplify our lives, but I believe this wise Amish farmer says it best.

“We realize that not everyone is cut out to be one of the plain people. Many have not the opportunity:  but here is the challenge:

If you admire our faith, strengthen yours.

If you admire our sense of commitment, deepen yours.

If you admire our community spirit, build your own.

If you admire our simple life, cut back.

If you admire deep character and enduring values, live them yourself!”

--An Amish man writing in Small Farm Journal, Summer 1993

Do one thing this week to simply “simplify” your life!  Be sure to tell us about it. Or maybe you have some other ideas you could share with us to help us all simplify.

Janna