The Simple Life - Embodied Living

Shame

Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. ~ Thoreau

I live by Thoreau’s motto: ‘I love a broad margin to my life’. I sort by space! If there’s not enough space I feel stressed which tells me to simplify, simplify!

Why Is space important?

It’s simple: it gives me time to be. It gives me vital time to discover myself, it’s spiritual. Being not doing is my goal in life. From a place of being, we can ‘do’ even more productively and powerfully, perhaps because we are not so attached to outcomes or fruits of the doing. Money becomes less important, we are not so bothered about earning ‘more’ or not having ‘enough’. We have freedom back!!

What do I do with space?

I love Dan Seigel’s ‘7 daily essential mental activities’:
I guess this is what I ‘do’ in that space. Play, meditate, create, yoga, reflect, connect, be. For example I try to spend at least 2 hours a day doing yoga, breath work and meditation and things that I do simply because I enjoy doing them.

How do you simplify to create space?

  1. Have less – for example, I choose to live in a small house, my luxury purchases are generally confined to books (though I only buy what I can read), kayaking and photography kit. I run my two businesses from flexible business units where I can upgrade or downshift month by month, according to demand.
  2. Buy less or buy used, or skill swap with a mate!
  3. Do less – I run one of my businesses with a partner, and let the people I employ work in the business, I try to keep a bigger picture view to keep things on track. And I’m careful about who or what I take on. I still do social media but I limit who or what I follow, I don’t watch TV, I create space in my diary, I actively practice saying ‘no’
  4. I often do Activities that combine play with connecting with down or in time – like kayaking!
  5. Make, grow, cook your own – I eat out less, and therefore eat more healthily (though I can easily spend 2 hours in a coffee shop thinking or writing). I’m mostly vegetarian. I’m taking over part of my dads allotment soon, part of my next wave of simple living.

These are just some ideas for starter. I’m still work in progress but feeling more content and happier than ever.

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