Less is More

I just read the book Less is More by Cecile Andrews and Wanda Urbanska.  The book really is a collection of short essays and stories written by various people of all different backgrounds, and I really thought it was inspiring and worth reading.  The book was primarily written with the idea of exposing how unsatisfying our frantic, high-speed, clamoring, always-wanting-more lifestyle is, and how there is a solution to this problem: Simplicity.  There are a lot of great facts and specific examples given by the essay writers, but instead of relaying those facts, I'm going to explain general ideas that are left in my head after reading the book.

Aiming for simplicity is not aiming for a lesser life.  Rather, it is aiming for a more full and happy life.  Studies show that accumulating excessive wealth and possessions does not make us happy.  In fact, it can make us stressed as we spend more time working and consuming and less time on all of the other activities that humans are supposed to do including socializing, praying/meditating, resting, spending time in nature, spending time with family, etc.

Living simply would help solve multiple issues at once.  It would help people feel better and be healthier.  It would help lessen the gap between the rich and the poor.  It would help us to stop demanding more from the planet than it can give.

As I was reading, I was reminded of a particular middle-class couple that I know that my heart ached for because I wanted simplicity for them.  They are very nice, generous, lovely people, but for years now they have been constantly rushing around.  They have so many things that they don't know where to put all of them even though their house is large.  Yet, they are still dreaming of buying more and spending more money.  They both work full-time, so they struggle to find the time and energy to put good, healthy, wholesome food on the table each day.  They also struggle to have the time to spend with friends and family without feeling stressed.  Whenever I talk to them, I get the sense that they are not satisfied with what they have and where they are.  Although this couple was the one that came to my mind most clearly, I feel like many adults that I know could probably relate to this story.  It just is a sad way to live.

Two things stick with me that I want to practice immediately, the first is making time and space to live.  I had already started doing this some this school year, but I have realized that there is one thing that I really need to do to give myself this space:  Put the computer on hibernate more of the day.  It is too tempting to be able to just wiggle the mouse to see all my friends' status changes on Facebook, check my email, or Google anything.  Mind you, these are all great things, but I have been letting them take too much time, and they haven't been adding enough to my life.

The second thing that I am immediately putting into practice was the idea of appreciating what you have.  In the book, the example was a coffee cup.  Each time the person had coffee, she took in her coffee mug and admired its beauty and purpose.  I feel blessed because I have enough.  In fact, more than enough.  (Although I'm working on that, too!)  I want to remember my blessings daily and feel gratitude for them.  I will admire the color and pattern of a shirt.  I will admire the versatility of a glass jar.  I will admire the beauty of the fruit in the fruit bowl.

I feel like I have not fully captured the picture of beauty that I see in my head as I imagine Simplicity, but as I work it into my life, I feel the beauty.  I wish the same peace and fulfillment for each of you!

I taped this to the wall by my desk last year, and I will allow you to appreciate its message as well: