A simpler life

Do you ever wish that things were simpler? Lately I've been feeling an almost constant desire to simplify. Purge my surroundings, get rid of the clutter. Simplify. We(as in me personally and western society) have to much stuff. It seems your "status" for many comes from what you have. The "American" dream has become more about the size of your house and they type of vehicle you drive than about anything else. We are constantly trying to keep up with what we think we need because other people have it, or the media says we need it. Wants and needs have become so intertwined that we can't tell the difference. Debt is soaring because it's so easy to get and there is always something we "need" to justify the spending. Does all this stuff make us happy? Content? The answer is almost always no.

The pace of life is crazy busy, no doubt largely due to the fact that we have to work so hard to pay off those debts to get more stuff. When do you have time to enjoy that stuff? Or anything?

I've also found myself concerned about waste. Along with the consumerism is a tendency to replace things that maybe don't need replacing. With our busy lifestyles we've become dependent on convenience. Disposable everything. When I stop and think(or look) at the amount of stuff that goes in the garbage it really upsets me. I recycle a lot but I think we could do better.

I get overwhelmed thinking about how many things I'd like to change in our life. Things that I believe would improve our sense of being. Things that would be better for the environment. But I don't have to do everything at once, I can't do everything at once. I think the key for me is to remember that even small steps make a difference. If I can make an effort to live consciously in all area's of my life I believe change will start on it's own. It's going to take awhile, the "need" of things is so ingrained that it will take me awhile to figure out my needs vs wants.

I admit to wanting to own my own home, but lately what that will look like for me has changed. I'm no longer in a rush. I don't want to jump into owning something before we can handle it financially. The stress of owning something you can't really afford is something I don't desire. And when we can afford it I'm not sure what my "dream" house will be, I don't want the big house anymore. I find the look of large houses lonely.

I think you will be reading more about this on my blog in the future. It's going to be another journey in my life, the journey to a simpler life. A more family centered, God centered life. More about living and loving than earning and buying. At least that's the goal.

As there is a lot going on in my life with moving ect I'm not sure how much I'll be able to post. But I am going to make an effort to keep up with the blogging because I want to keep everyone updated and I really do love having everything documented. I thought for the next month I'll try to post something everyday, even if it's little, that makes me happy. A blog I've been reading has given me the inspiration for this. Bluebirdbaby, check it out here.

"Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking."
Marcus Aurelius Antoninu

I was going to add pictures but it got long and late and I really need to pack something! I'll hopefully be back later with my moment of happiness!