"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Leonardo da Vinci

Modern culture suggests that in order to be happy a person needs more: bigger, better, faster stronger, newer. More, more, more. Trade in your old car for a newer, shinier model and you will get the girl (or boy), be better looking, have more friends! Get the latest cell phone! This one has more games, is accepted into more networks, takes photos, connects to the Internet, and can play all your tunes! Its only X amount when you sign a two year contract!! Use this make up, wear these clothes, go to these restaurants, live in this area... To add to the onslaught, images of rich, famous, and beautiful celebrities are constantly in front of us, and the message is that You Too Can Live Like Them!! That is, if you buy this product, wear these clothes, get this cosmetic treatment, and on and on it goes. If you can't afford the American Lifestyle, well, no problem! The credit card companies are there to help!! Buy now, pay later- what a deal!! The end result of all of this is a society whose values are completely skewed, coveting all that they don't have, never appreciating all they do have, and never being able to appease the insatiable appetite for "stuff" that they have acquired. Not to mention the ultimate weakening of the countries economic system that occurs when fewer people have any money set aside, are up to their ears in debt, and cannot pay their mortgages. All of this on a very, very large scale, and even with the economic downturn, the root of this problem still exists as much as it ever did. That root is that people are searching for happiness in all the wrong places, believing that it can be bought. It can't.

I learned this the hard way when I was 20 years old. My father had been a highly paid executive when he decided to start his own company. I was 18 years old and had been used to living the privileged life as the daughter of a well to do family. My mother, sister, and I shopped like there was no tomorrow, and were ill prepared when we were told we were going to be tight for awhile until the new company got off its feet. Rather than stop, however, we continued to spend money like crazy. And the more things we bought, the more we wanted. Like an out of control addict, nothing was ever enough. I needed more, more, more to continue feeling good about myself. To continue the "high" of that last purchase. Of course, it all came crashing down eventually, and I learned alot from it, and continue to learn.

Simplicity is a term for a lifestyle that has gone in and out of fashion; usually with the economy. You hear it alot when we are in a downturn, people touting "living simply", "simple living", "living green". And this is good. But, Simplicity isn't a fad or a trend, it is a way of life- a philosophy and a way of looking at things that doesn't follow trends of economic cycles. Simplicity means living with less because you WANT to, not because you HAVE to, and having the choice to do the things that bring you real happiness, not the fleeting high of a new outfit. It means living lean and not having so much "stuff" that it owns you, and the "stuff" that you do have has special meaning.

I think about Buddha and Christ and the Poverty Vow, and I think that we have misconstrued the real meaning of what they were trying to teach. It isn't about living in poverty so much; it is about living lean so that that you can be close to Spirit, as too much "stuff" gets in the way of that divine voice.

Our lifestyle is consciously based on the principles of Simplicity. We are inspired by Zen, and other Buddhist principles, as well as Christ's teaching, The Shakers, Amish, and others. We weigh each purchase- not because we lack, but because we don't- and therein lies the difference.

The beauty of this lifestyle is that it allows for CHOICE, and allows us to do what is really important to us. For example, this allowed my husband to take off all of last year, allowed us to enjoy 3 weeks in the Mediterranean in January, allows to to take several trips a year, allows me to go to school, gives us the opportunity to change careers when we get tired of what we are doing, and, perhaps most importantly, teaches the children through our example a way of life that is counter to what society says in the norm. The most ironic part of it is that our lives are so full of abundance due to living this way!!

I am not saying this is for everyone, but I do believe people would benefit from adopting some of the simplicity principles. Here are a few that come to me off the top of my head:

1. Never buy anything on credit.
2. That said, never use credit cards.
3. Own your vehicles- you do not need a new car every two years, and that money you pay each month can be saved and used for something alot more fun than transportation.
4. Stay out of malls. If fashion is important to you (it is to me) you can still look great without spending a fortune, constantly shopping, and buying everything in sight. Use your imagination.
5. Learn to cook.
6. Grow your own food.
7. Recycle, reuse, repurpose, borrow. I recently refinished 2 old occasional tables and a desk in a trendy black. I got the tables for free, and refinishing them took about a week of evenings. It was fun, rewarding, and looks amazing. People compliment them all the time and want to know where we got them.
8. Sew. I have been turning old sundresses I hung onto into the long gypsy style skirts you see everywhere. It takes less than 1/2 an hour, and costs next to nothing except time. I suppose this could also go under #7 or #3. The idea is to be creative and have fun. That old pair od jeans can become a funky and fun book bag, book cover, tote, skirt, shorts, pot holders- you get the idea.
9. Get rid of clutter.
10. Take control of your health. It is your most valuable possession, and if you have good, vibrant health, you have everything.

Well, I will come back to this, because there is SO much more to add, but I have yoga in 30 minutes!