I'm reading a book right now called How to Simply Your Life. I don't recommend it. Fortunately I got it from the library so it wasn't a complete waste. I also realized reading it that it helped that I disagreed with so much of what the author said because it helped solidify what I really believe.

It got me thinking about the "whys" of simplifying.

The book really should be called "How to Organize your Life so that you can get more Done in a Day." There is advice about how to deal with unexpected guests, (Don't sit down. Don't offer them anything to eat or drink. Communicate clearly that you can only give them 10 minutes and then you must get back to what you were doing, etc)

I don't want to simply to fit more in my life. I want to simplify so that when an unexpected guest does arrive, I can drop everything and visit. I want to live in the moment, put people first, listen activity, live intentionally. I want to live simply so that I have the time and energy to give myself more to those around me. I want the focus to be more on people and less on things.

Why do you want to live the simple life?
(There isn't a right or wrong answer. It may be different for everyone.)

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I think for me it comes down to this: Too much stuff, whether it's things, activities, or obligations can get in the way of what's REALLY important. I want to excavate my home and life of all superficial things so that what really matters always rises to the top.

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The book really should be called "How to Ensure You Will Never Have Guest Stop By Your Home Ever, Ever Again." Maybe you just sit on your roof with an assault rifle and just pick them off as they walk up your walk. I have never heard of such crazy talk in my life.

Yes I want a simplier life. A life with less clutter -- no stacks of junk mail, no drawers and closets so full to capacity that I can't find anything, no bills and paperwork from years and years ago, etc.....stuff like that. But I certainly want a life full of friends and family. If I have someone who stops by unexpectedly to say hi, no matter how busy I am, I try to remember that they must think enough of me or my family to take the time out of their lives to come by and visit.

I'm glad you didn't pay any $$$ for that. You should be owed $$$ for having wasted your time reading it. LOL

My realization for simplifying my life didn't come until I reached 25.

I think for me it was a culmination of factors.

To be honest, I had been placing myself around people and situations that were all superficial. NOTE: By saying superficial, I mean that they were only worried about "their" wants and whatever new flashy clothes, cars and any other accessories that were being crammed down their throats by the media...

These people were the type that when I would go out with them they would snicker at a stranger because they were dressed a certain way....

I just woke up one morning and decided that I wasn't happy. I dropped all contact with the people that I had been previously involved with... including a 6 year fiance.

My simple life is providing for my daughter to the best of my abilities while helping her understand that life is about so much more than $90.00 jeans or showroom floor BMW's. Being able to sit in comfortable silence without the pressure of money... being secure enough in myself that I don't feel the need to prove I'm someone by throwing cash around.

I've experienced plenty of adults that were never satisfied. My daughter is easier to please than a couple of 30 years olds that I knew.

Was I even on topic? LOL

HAHAHA...LOL...Now, THAT was funny!

I do agree with the rest of what you said. I would love to have no clutter, especially the junk mail! But, I want guests to stop by and feel completely comfortable doing so. I like it when people stop by and I would never even think of not offering them a drink or something! Shoot, I offer the cable guy a glass of water or ice tea, if they have to stop by! I do want to be able to find something if I need to and I don't want to have a house that looks like it's full of junk. I was at my aunt and uncle's house this past week and found what I really want. They have a house that is lived in, but everything has a place and there is a place for everything. It's not a house where you are afraid to sneeze, but it had just the right amount of stuff. That's what I want.

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I guess it is some advice my mother was giving me with getting dressed up some place. You have points 13 of them you go over that and you are going to far. So you get dressed up the earings 2 points and necklas make 3, hair tie 4, make up 5, rings 7 and so on. The point is that you can over do anything you can go from tastefull to tacky without even realizing it. For me living a simple life is finding a balence so I am not over whelmed by a schedule with too much in it, a house with too much furniture or clutter, a closet that does not include the latest fad that will be gone and out of style next year.
I agree with vioburn I want to have the right amount of stuff where I know there is a place for everything and that place isn't behind the recliner

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006

Kimberly!!!!! How did you know I hide my stuff behind the recliner!

Mar

My dh and I live a simple life. I don't really know how to exactly explain though! I am a SAHM, for 2yrs now. So I have the time to keep up with the house; cleaning and keeping it tidy throughout the day. That way when my dh comes home from work we can play with the kids and not need to worry about picking up toys and things and then losing out on spending time with them. I do the grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, laundry etc. My dh will do the laundry too and clean up (he is so anal about keeping things in their place), bathe the kids, put them to bed, stop at the store on the way home from work to pick up milk or something we need. We just kind of both pitch in with everything that needs to be done, well except for me and yardwork-that's his job! (like me cleaning the bathrooms is my job!) We both cook or he helps me cook and clean up after dinner, with both of us doing it it goes so much faster. We don't have a strict schedule for anything, just kind of do things as they need done, the kids do have a bedtime routine (although I don't get bent out of shape if they aren't in bed at the exact time each night) and really like sticking to it.

We don't have any stress or worries but that is because we don't create any. We don't need chaos to survive, I know some people who thrive on chaos and we are not those people. I'm not going to play my child's b-day party around the whole class to be invited, I could afford to but why would I want all that stress of planning it, catering it, being there for it and paying for it? To me it's not worth the chaos that would create. If I were to go out shopping every day, on things we/I don't need and using credit cards then we'd be stressed out. If I begged and begged my dh for a new Escalade because our new neighbor has one and we went to get one then we'd be stressed. We have never been the keeping up with the Jones' type, we just keep up with ourselves. When we want a new tv we go out and buy it, with cash when we have it. We live a very modest, below our means lifestyle. But we still leave time for us for dinner and a movie dates. We still do a lot of things as a family, we go out to dinner as a family or to a family movie too. My kids are not involved in 15 different activities, although they are only 5yrs and almost 2yrs, they don't need all these different people in their lives right now, just us. When they are grown they aren't going to remember the kids from their soccer team or whatever and those kids aren't going to care about them anyway, their family is what is important to remember, all those fun things we did as a family, family will always be there for them no matter what.

Here is an example of what my dh sees everyday at work: a "blended" family (meaning a new dh and wf, both bringing children from previous marriages into their new marriage) comes into the dealership "needing" a new vehicle. Now they have a 7passenger (which there are 5 kids and then the 2 adults) vehicle and owe a ton of money on. The reason they are looking at $55,000 SUV's? The kids don't like the one they have now! The 14yr old ds complains he is getting too big to fit in what they have and the kids all complain that the air conditioning/circulation isn't enough to keep them all cool when they are all riding together. So the parents are willing to go deep into debt on this new SUV because the kids are complaining. Is there something wrong with this picture? I think so. I'd tell the kids to shut up and quit complaining. To be happy they first of all are able to have a 7passenger vehicle they can afford, to be happy that vehicle has air conditioning and that all 7 of them are only together twice a month and it isn't worth it to further ruin their credit because of some bratty, whining teenagers. Maybe because my dh sees these Jones' type people on a daily basis, sees how that brings about bad credit for the most part that we are the way we are.

Kim you are right, too much just gets in the way of what is important in life. Too many activities and children get stressed out, don't get to be kids, don't get to have family time. Too much stuff in your home ends up not having a place and there fore ends up becoming clutter. Too many obligations and you are not able to see your children grow up. For most people though it seems that enough is never enough.

My dh is a cancer survivor. You never know how long you will have with the people you love. I want my life to allow for maximum time with my family.

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

I just want to focus on the important things & quit stressing about the little things like my house not being clean or the laundry piling up. This is still a work in progress. I am not as bad as I used to be.

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Mommy to Ariana 8/11/01 & Davis 4/11/05
I love my kiddos!

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