Living the Simple Life

‘A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.’ ~Henry David Thoreau

By Leo Babauta
For almost 9 years now, I’ve been learning to live a simple life.
A life uncluttered by most of the things people fill their lives with, and left with space for what really matters. A life that isn’t constant busy-ness and rushing, but contemplation and creation, connection with people I love and time for nature and activity.
That doesn’t mean I have zero clutter and zero complications: I’m a part of the world, not a secluded monk. I have possessions, electronics, distractions, and occasional busy-ness. I just have reduced it to make space.
Today I’ve been reflecting on this simple life, and thought I’d share some of those reflections.
Some things I’ve learned about living the simple life:

Decluttering your home and work space can lead to a less cluttered mind. These visual distractions pull on us in more ways than we realize.
A quiet unrushed morning is a thing to treasure. I wake early so that I have some quiet time to read, write, meditate.
You can’t have a simple life if you’re unwilling to let go of what you’re used to.
Letting go can be difficult, but is easier if you do a one-month challenge. Let go of something for a month and see whether you like it or not.
Letting go of cable TV was one of the best things we did early on — no more constant television in my home, no ...

Source: Zen Habits - July 24, 2014 Category: Life Coaches Authors: zenhabits Tags: Simplicity Source Type: blogs