By Susan 'Honey' Good
"Tis a gift to be simple, Tis a gift to be free. 'Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be. And when we find ourselves In the place that's right, twill be in a valley of love and delight." 19th Century Shaker Hymn
Reading this little poem gives me immeasurable pleasure. I have read and reread it several times; each and every time, I feel my body de-stress and unwind. I am embracing simplicity.
And yet I know that in my world and your world it is impossible to live a total life of simplicity. Nevertheless, this poem empowered me to think about changes I wanted to make in my life. And I have done just that, darlings. I used discipline to struggle with my feelings. I questioned myself. I changed old habits and chartered new waters. I deleted what was what not fulfilling me. I learned to say "no" to others and "yes" to myself.
I now tend my little garden that I planted in California. I play beautiful French music in my car and in my home. I shop at garden shops for wind chimes to hang around our home. I spend a lot of alone time with my husband. I take Orchid on daily walks and I walk on my treadmill every day. I 'try' and blend simplicity with the complications that I cannot avoid.
My thoughts on embracing simplicity...
Clarity: By our age we know who we are and what is important! Take some quiet time to explore your inner self and what works for you.
De-clutter: Our home and our workplace should be our haven from the outside world, darlings. My little studio was not a haven! Papers! I solved this problem by learning to file my papers in folders on my Apple. I embraced simplicity with placing a limited number of cherished possessions on my desk that brought me joy. My favorite book: Gift From the Sea, my favorite paperweight in the peaceful color of blue; my favorite picture of my husband, Shelly, my favorite flower, an Orchid and four gifts from girlfriends, my favorite a lavender colored crystal angel. Take stock of what you need to de-clutter.
Relationships: I stepped back from unimportant social relationships and now devote extra time to important relationships and new people who interest me.
Health: Darlings, by pursuing a simpler life you will become healthier. Less truly is more.
Gift Yourself: Take time to smell the flowers. It is really not hard if you resolve yourself to just do it, darlings! You will have more time to enjoy what you love; your husband, your family, grandchildren, travel, your girlfriends, your hobbies and alone time.
A Journal: I strongly suggest you keep a journal of your thoughts for one month. It is a great discipline. At the end of the month reread your writings. You probably will live into the answer of how your personally should embrace simplicity.
In our fast paced world, where we have become the victims of a modern day epidemic that more, more and more is the answer to happiness, I want to leave you with a few words of wisdom.
I have found that living with less and less baggage has given me more freedom, more time and more joy to appreciate what is important to me.
In a one sentence I can sum up this blog...
REPLACE THE WORD "MORE" WITH THE WORD "LESS" SO THAT YOU CAN EMBRACE A HAPPIER YOU.
Have you mastered embracing a simple life? Or are you, like I was, struggling to declutter your life? I'd love to know how you keep it simple or I'd love to help you live into your simpler, more rewarding life. Let's connect! You can comment below or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram. Let's chat!
Photography by Hallie Duesenberg
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