Simplify

Sometime in the last year or so, Tim and I have sort of started a journey of simplifying our lives. I believe it started with Leo Babauta and his blog ZenHabits or maybe his book The Power of Less (PS I just realized I can link to stuff, so now I am going to) but anyway, we suddenly became interested in the idea of living more simply. Tim reads several blogs on the topic and sometimes shares the articles with me, and in general, we've just been trying to be content with what we have and where we are.

It has been an enjoyable process. I can say that my desire for "more!" has been lessened greatly when it comes to belongings. I occasionally add things to my Amazon wishlist (mostly books I want to check out from the library) or come up with an idea for a gadget that would make some aspect of my life a little easier (a small cookie sheet, anyone?) but I am not consuming at the rate I once was. I don't feel the need for new clothes when the ones I have are fine, nor the desire to to spend money to fill a void (aka retail therapy). Part of this is because we don't have the extra money for that kind of thing anymore :) We enjoy going places together, but I don't feel that I always have to be somewhere or have plans made. I don't like being in a hurry all of the time. Sometimes it is just nice to sit on the deck while the kids play in the yard, or take a family walk around the neighborhood and talk to each other. I feel like I've taken a giant chill pill and have experienced a great deal of contentment because of this.

I've been trying to cut away the excess in my life and I don't just mean the physical stuff. I mean the commitments too. I've been looking at the different things I've committed myself to and have been asking: What purpose does this fulfill? Is this a worthy use of my time?  And sometimes, the answer is no. And when it is, I might decide to no longer be a part of that. I am trying to cut away the nonessential, the things that drag me down, and the distractions.

Oh, the distractions. Facebook, email, internet, TV...they try to suck me in and suck up my time, and sometimes, they win. Especially Facebook. dang Facebook! I vacillate between wanting to delete my account and relying on it for communication with friends and scheduling activities for the kids. I don't even want to know how much time I waste on the stupid internet. Grrr. There's progress to be made. More simplifying to be done.

I feel like this whole experiment has given me some perspective. My time here on Earth is limited. I don't really want to rush through it all, spend a bunch of time on tasks that aren't meaningful, and getting super grumpy because I never get a break or any time to just reflect. I would rather take the time to love the people I love and use my gifts to make a positive impact. I would rather glorify God, give thanks to Him for my abundant blessings, share His love with others. I would rather pause and reflect, think things through before reacting harshly, and just enjoy life.

Laundry, dishes, the budget, dirty diapers, messy floors (seriously, I don't know how my kids make the floor so messy every single meal, but they do) will call for my attention, and I will answer. Eventually. But in the areas I can control, I'm choosing to simplify and live with purpose the best I can.