View Full Version : Radical Simplicity
So if you could, what would you do that falls under the category of stepping it a notch towards being radically simple? The goal is spiritual formation and not travel or saving for retirement which are both good and valuable but not what I'm looking for.
I am attracted to rooms where all seating is on the floor.
I think I would be a better person if I got rid of my furniture. I'd be more limber. I'd commune with my dogs at doggie level. If I slept on the floor, too, that would shape me in a direction that would be, oh I don't know, maybe better, certainly simpler.
that's all theoretical, I won't do it but my alter ego would do it. For one thing it wouldn't be fair to DH who works physically hard, is limber and fit, and he likes to plop down on comfortable furniture, and why shouldn't he?
I am attracted to the no spend or no car days that we have here periodically. I haven't participated in those challenges for a long time, but I am sympathetic to them. I like them, and in the days when I played that games I had fun and life slowed down as I walked rather than drove, and did things rather than shop (although I'm not a big shopper of stores.) I like these challenges because they can be implemented incrementally.
First, I would ride my bicycle everywhere. We live in a fairly rural area, so biking to, say, the grocery store, would be a 20+ mile round trip. The distance doesn't concern me, but I would need to figure out a mechanism for hauling groceries on the return trip and also what to do in the winter. I know that all of these obstacles can be overcome and a woman, who must be in her early 70s, lives near me and does this exact thing! But it would mean a MAJOR lifestyle change and I'm just not there yet; I am convinced I will get there, though, as I feel very drawn to that type of radically simplified lifestyle.
Second, I would learn everything I can about edible wild plants and I would drastically shift my diet to include many more things that grow as native plants in my area. I hope to begin to acquire much of this knowledge over the next few years as I now have a bit more time to focus on the study of these things.
I think about my selfish need for so many clothes (goodwill purchased 95%).
we spent a year with just our bedroom furniture (king sized family bed and tall boy dresser), and i really enjoyed it.
but by the end of the year, we all really wanted a kitchen table. so, we found one (used) and 6 french-style cafe chairs (used). and then, for some reason, i bought a day bed/captain's bed for DS, but I like having him sleep with us still, so it sits, unused mostly, in our living room as a daybed/sofa.
i have been gifted two mid-mod/scandi chairs, too, so those will be in the lounge as well, unless i need to sell something. i'd planned on getting rid of the day bed, but. . . the sallies never came to get it, so there it is. we moved it.
I always think more of radical simplicity when people talk about big changes on the income side as opposed to the consumption side.
creaker -- ah, like certain quakers -- 90% tithe, 10% to live on. most of them have small homes and plots of land, grow veggies and put things by, etc. fascinating stuff, for sure. haven't thought of that in a while.
flowerseverywhere
8-12-11, 10:36am
Our biggest is transportation. I bike everywhere and have paniers and a basket so rarely use my car. It eliminates the gym membership and we are way healthier for it eliminating many health care costs.
second is food. We eat as close to the bottom of the food chain and grow as much as we can organically.
third is never buying anything new except undergarments and swimsuits. Keeps tons out of the landfills and we spend so much less for the few things we do buy.
We still live in a house and sleep in beds and sit on chairs, but at almost 60 years comfort means a lot to me, especially after long bike rides.
creaker -- ah, like certain quakers -- 90% tithe, 10% to live on. most of them have small homes and plots of land, grow veggies and put things by, etc. fascinating stuff, for sure. haven't thought of that in a while.
My father worked up the ladder to a "good career", long hours, too much travel, never home, working on an ulcer, not happy - he went and reenlisted in Air Force with only weeks left before he was too old to (this was very late 60's). Best career choice he ever made in terms of quality of life.
catherine
8-12-11, 12:45pm
My next step to radical simplicity would be in terms of housing. I raised my kids in a typical 70s 3 bedroom 1 bath home in a typical subdivision, but I am obsessed with little houses. Tumbleweed houses are awesome, Clayton i-houses are awesome. I was at Lake Bomoseen in VT a couple of days ago with my family and there was a house on a promontory that was so small I'm sure a lot of people would use it for a backyard shed. But the people had expanded their summer living space by having the most gorgeous garden with a zillion colorful flowers and a gazebo right on the precipice of the promontory.
There was another house nearby just as small, but no garden. However, it was literally perched way up high on a cliff overlooking the lake. Because my husband's a drinker there's no way I would ever buy THAT house! One wrong turn and a flip over the rails and all of a sudden you could get a job cliff diving in Acapulco. But it was great.
Last spring I lived in a tiny house that I estimate to be about 250 sq feet. I loved it.
Speaking of radical simplicity, homes, and the tie in with spirituality, I just bought a book called Twelve by Twelve, and Anne, you would really love it, if you are looking for the crossroads of where simplicity meets spirituality. It's by William Powers and it's about his experience living in a friend's 12 x 12 off-the-grid cabin. I'm really enjoying it.
Thanks, Catherine. I requested it from Inter Library Loan.
thanks, catherine, for the book recommendation. I almost whipped out my Kindle and got it, but something stopped me. I did read some of the reviews and it sounds like a good book. I will think about it and maybe later...............
I am pretty sure that I won't ever live without water and power, but I do fantisize about it. I know that there is a lot of hard work to live a life like that and that I am just not up for it.
I can remember my grandparents living pretty simply and those pictures are vivid in my mind. No hurry, no problems, make do, etc. Most people are not interested in that kind of life.
I sure go like my air conditioning!
I find it really ironic that many people live in huge houses and then go to modest cabins or camping for vacation. When our house seemed too small some years ago, I decided to think of our house as a cabin. Not only is it nice to think of our everyday home as a quiet refuge, but thinking of it this way also inspires the casual, undecorated atmosphere that we like.
There was a book I used to have, which I've since released to the world to inspire others, titled A Very Small Farm. It was a lovely memoir from a man who built his own simple house and lived sustainably in Oklahoma.
I would like to live somewhere that was amenable to walking or biking everywhere... that's not where we are now, though. I used to think about more radically simplistic modes of life, but that was before kids. Now we try to strike a balance. Compared to all the families we know well enough to consider, we have the simplest life in most respects (aside from the large yard to care for... which also provides space to grow food - again, balance).
Radical simplicity for me is doing nothing. Accepting and not accepting as each new change shows up.
Rosemary, I read A Very Small Farm! I loved it. So sad about his cow,though.
I loved this show on PBS about a man who -- in his 60s or 70s retired to a cabin that he build in alaska. it was a one room cabin, and he just showed video journals of his life. his kids put the videos together, and he did some narration on the videos, and it is just really cool. i can't remember the name, but i must have watched it 6 or more times. :)
our little place is little. We have no idea what the square footage is, but people pity us. LOL "It's so small!" and when people are being nice, they then go "oh, it must be so cozy!" I love the space -- truly. It's definitely bigger than a one-room cabin, but it has the feel of a vacation beach cottage to me, and i'm starting to (slowly and frugally) do it up so that it's a bit more to my tastes (which is mostly about painting the walls white). I love living this way. I love sharing the bed with my little son. and when he's old enough, he can sleep in the day bed in the lounge! seriously, no reason to move away from here, IMO!
I loved this show on PBS about a man who -- in his 60s or 70s retired to a cabin that he build in alaska. it was a one room cabin, and he just showed video journals of his life. his kids put the videos together, and he did some narration on the videos, and it is just really cool. i can't remember the name, but i must have watched it 6 or more times. :)
Is it "One Man's Wilderness"? If so, the book is great, too. I have the book and the DVDs and I revisit them about every 2 years. Absolutely love.
ApatheticNoMore
8-13-11, 12:27pm
I've lived in small studio apartments and large studio apartments and one bedrooms. Can I go on record as saying, all other things constant: I prefer the larger studios to the small ones and the one bedrooms to both! I really don't get the quest for everything small, yea I've lived in tiny studio apartments, it is really not all that. And having more than one room is just cool. In small studios there really is a feeling of claustrophobia for me. Some need for space is natural to the human animal is it not? Of course this gets grotesquely distorted in McMansions, but living in a closet, well I really don't see the appeal. Now I'm not saying I won't give up some space for cost savings, but there often isn't much in the way of cost savings.
ANM, Since the context of these answers is spiritual formation, I think the idea behind small space living is that you live with only the absolute essentials as part of a spiritual discipline. The purpose might be to identify with and free up resources for the poor or to frequently experience the grace of not relying on physical things for comfort, or what have you. The appeal isn't that you like it but that you grow from it.
IL,thanks for reminding me about the challenges. The challenges are a good way to take a very ephemeral concept and give it some form.
I have been doing some additional reading and came across the article On Christian Spiritual Formation (http://www.renovare.us/ViewNewsLetter/tabid/2404/Default.aspx?ID=71). Interesting food for thought there, too.
Have any of you read about the early Christian Desert Fathers? While they *are* Christian, I think there is much in there that simple livers would identify with. The below Penguin edition is the one I have, and available inexpensively used on Amazon. You can get a free first chapter on the Kindle edition.
http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Fathers-Sayings-Christian-Classics/dp/0140447318/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1313264631&sr=8-2
I love Merton's translations of the DF's poetry and writings. Good stuff! There are still several coptic priests who live that way.
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i think it is One Man's Wilderness! *Love it!* I'm truly inspired by him!
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I think that there's a dance between the inner arisings and disciplines and also the outter suggestions coming together to form an individuated way of "radical simplicity."
My husband and I tend toward very specific design ideas: scandinavian, zen (particularly japanese), christian monastic (cistercian -- Into Great Silence is a great film, btw, showing a "year in the life"), and even muslim influences with their spare and unadorned (as opposed to the extensive geometric tileworks) homes, religious centers, etc as well. Most have white walls, natural materials, and minimal furnishings and adornments.
This is really where we are heading, but in a 'western' way. it is simplicity, and we do live with very little -- and it could be prehaps far more than other people would consider spiritually or personally important. . .
but for us it is about finding that balance.
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though our current radical simplicity is around food -- no left overs, no waste, etc. We find ourselves really being mindful of ever egg, every piece of meat, every vegetable and fruit. the other day, I had simple some "odds and ends" of veggies -- truly, a lot of random roots -- that were about to 'go bad.' as it was, they were limp.
i chopped them up and made soup from them. the soup was delicious, and it was one of those ways that i was working toward "no wasting food!" we used to waste a fair bit.
it's a zen practice, actually, to not waste *any* food at all, and it's been an *amazing* practice for us to do.
Tradd, I've only read a bit here and there. Our family devotional a few months back focused on them. I don't know if I'm ready for that level of simplifying yet. Thank you for sharing. I am intrigued!
Tradd, I've only read a bit here and there. Our family devotional a few months back focused on them. I don't know if I'm ready for that level of simplifying yet. Thank you for sharing. I am intrigued!
Definitely something to aspire to! Someone suggested to me on another forum that if a fellow Orthodox said anything negative to me about being a minimalist, I should just tell them I'm inspired by the Desert Fathers!
Three examples from the "Possessing Nothing" chapter in the Penguin edition:
P. 54 (Kindle edition - I can copy and paste when it's on my computer!): "Evagrius said that there was a brother who had no possessions except a Gospel book and he sold it in order to feed the poor. He said something worth remembering: ‘I have sold even the word that commands me to sell all and give to the poor.'"
P. 56: "A brother said to Serapion, ‘Give me a word.’ But he replied, ‘What can I say to you? You have taken what belongs to widows and orphans and put it on your window-ledge.’ He saw that the window-ledge was full of books."
P. 58: "A great man came from a distance to Scetis carrying gold, and he asked the presbyter of the desert to distribute it among the brothers. But the presbyter said to him, ‘The brothers do not need it.’ But he was very pressing, and would not give way, and put a basket of money in the church porch. So the presbyter said, ‘Whoever is in need may take money from here.’ No one touched it, some did not even look at it. The presbyter said, ‘God has accepted your offering to him. Go away and give it to the poor.’ He went away very much edified."
i have to be very mindful and temper myself, too. i'll explain later, after lunch. :D
and then after dinner. . . lol
so, here's my deal. i can be an extremist. during my formative years (14-18), i studied the desert fathers, tertullian, zen buddhism, and of course, worked with mother theresa's sisters in the poorest neighborhoods in our city.
i could get very easily extreme about it all -- quite honestly -- and often dream about how to live more and more and more simply with less and less and less. but ultimately, i discovered that I, personally, do need some more stability and creature comforts than the desert fathers.
that is to say, i found sleeping on the floor very difficult, such that i wouldn't call it "sleeping." i grant you, perhaps after a year (as opposed to several months), i would have adapted. but having a bed is really nice. and, i did have to get on with living -- making a living that is -- because i wasn't really interested in joining a convent or other form of dedicated, intentional community with vows of poverty and such. largely because it reminded me of the military -- you go where they tell you. I wasn't keen on that. LOL
so, i had this struggle about how i'll read those things and be like "OMG, i totally have 6 folding dining chairs -- used mind you -- and i really only use 3 every day (DS, DH, and myself), so I could totally give three away!" but then i remember that we often have people over for meals, and actually use all 6 chairs, so. . . there we go. I actually do use 6 chairs regularly. ok, i do have a second bed, and it goes rarely used. i bought it because i thought we'd be transitioning DS, but honestly, we like having him in bed with us. it's really awesome. so, maybe later. and, we do use it for guests, though we rarely have overnight guests.
i guess what i'm saying is that for me, it's largely about balance. i can go too far in either direction -- too eager for stuff, too eager to get rid of it or let it go. So, i have to seek balance. I have to temper myself. I have to allow myself to live a bit comfortably, within reason for where i am in life and how i live and all of that (eg, our dining table came at DS's request).
so, yeah. :D
Zoebird, I hear ya. Keeping stuff requires a different grace than giving it all away. Stuff in and of itself is not the problem. It's the meaning and the value we ascribe to stuff that causes the problem, making stuff into something that was never intended. Heck, I think there are good and valuable reasons to have stuff - to practice the discipline of stewardship for example. To bless others. To understand God as a provider. To free up time from doing mundane tasks to do more important things (although that's one that requires ruthless honesty and humility as mundane tasks can be a grace unto themselves.)
By the way, I enjoyed your thoughts on food waste. About six months ago, news about food waste and carbon footprint made the rounds. I haven't done anything with it. I'll file it in my subconscious and see if and when it comes bubbling up.
As I've been ruminating on this the last few days, I've been realizing that maybe my desire for radical simplicity is going to mean first decluttering my soul.
As I've been ruminating on this the last few days, I've been realizing that maybe my desire for radical simplicity is going to mean first decluttering my soul.
I know exactly what you mean: In the past I've drawn inspiration from Peace Pilgrim, and recently, I really love Richard Rohr. The Naked Now is an amazing book--and he has a book on spiritual simplicity called (duh) Simplicity: The Freedom of Letting Go. He draws spiritual strength also from the natural world.
Here's his website http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/
I also love Catherine Doherty's book, Poustinia. http://www.madonnahouse.org/publications/doherty/poustinia.htm
I checked Amazon for Poustina and it was not available on Kindle. I contacted the publisher,who knows? It sounds great, I am really trying to use my Kindle and not buy more books. (now that sounds shallow, doesn't it?
Anne Lee, I can second that book recommendation of Catherine's for Twelve by Twelve, by William Powers. I serendipitously came upon it in a library, thinking it looked, cover-wise, a bit, well, "lame", but that I'd see what was in there. It was interesting, yes, and turned out to be much more thought-provoking than expected. (so much for judging a book by its cover) It sounds like it's along the lines of what you were initially requesting.
I think the first thing I would do deemed radical (for me) toward a more spiritually balanced life would be to get rid of the tv. Simple as that. It would "radically" change my life really quickly.
More realistically (since I co-habitate with a tv monger) is to give it up as much as possible and create a sacred space in my house for me, myself, reading and meditation.
Actually, I have started this, but it gets sidetracked by baseball. :-(
I don't go as far as the Desert Fathers, but I definitely draw on them for inspiration!
Kay, I would love to ditch the TV! DH loves TV, though. So do my sons. I have an office downstairs which has no TV but I can hear the one in the game room. :/
rodeosweetheart
8-16-11, 4:20pm
I've been thinking of returning to a real Sabbath. Not quite Orthodox, no electronics type sabbath, but specifically not working, which for me means no internet. I am nervous about the reaction from work, but I still think it is worth a try, as 7 day a week availability is eating us alive. Just heard Joe Lieberman talking about his new book on sabbath and rest and thought, this may be the wake up call!
A friend of mine recently loved the Saturday when there was a power outage due to storms. He and his roomie liked it so much (and didn't like it when the power came back on as they were having a good time), so they're now going to have "Amish day" once a month. No TV, radio, computer, etc. They will read, write, play board games, talk, cook, do any other non-electrical hobbies, and play non-electric musical instruments.
Sounds fab to me!
[QUOTE=cdttmm;37728]First, I would ride my bicycle everywhere. We live in a fairly rural area, so biking to, say, the grocery store, would be a 20+ mile round trip. The distance doesn't concern me, but I would need to figure out a mechanism for hauling groceries on the return trip and also what to do in the winter. I know that all of these obstacles can be overcome and a woman, who must be in her early 70s, lives near me and does this exact thing! But it would mean a MAJOR lifestyle change and I'm just not there yet; I am convinced I will get there, though, as I feel very drawn to that type of radically simplified lifestyle.
I began this year in MI riding 20 miles round trip to the grocery store on my Bike. I will ride as long as the weather allows. I found it to be a learning experience along the way. I got a huge basket and a trailer if needed. I tend to only use the basket as the trailer is heavy loaded with groceries, but I take bottles back with the trailer. I learned never to buy more then I can carry in the basket, which is 4 bags ruffly. Last week wind was really strong on the ride home and I had bought too much heavy stuff....bad trip, but I made it. I got a nice fabric insulated cooler that holds the 4 bags. I shop a few times a week using this method. Once or twice a month I have to drive to get big things like Dog food and such. I can't get around that.
I have ridden for years and 20 miles is not far for me, However I have never shopped before this year using my bike. I have a spare bike just for shopping that has the basket and trailer. This has changed the way I shop, the amount I spend dramatically. My joke is if I can't carry it, I don't buy it. Hubby thinks it is silly, but I feel a sense of accomplishment when I do this. I will be sad when winter comes to MI, this trip will not be possible then. I did make my last ride of the 2010 season on 1-2-2011 and it was 25 miles,,,so there is hope I can ride till then again this year. I no longer shop at the WM or Miejer stores. I shop local farmer stands and the small grocery market now.
SO good luck where there is a will there is a way :)
I think the first thing I would do deemed radical (for me) toward a more spiritually balanced life would be to get rid of the tv. Simple as that. It would "radically" change my life really quickly. :-(
KayLRZ. My husband and I did just this earlier this year. It was an amazing change to the energy in the home. Shutting out the "noise" of the tv so that we could really hear. Hear each other, hear God, hear what was around us etc. We realized that when the tv was in the house and it was on, we were living in a fog. Together but not. Now there is more time for reading, discussion, reflection and dreaming. Just shutting the tv off didn't do it for us, we had to remove it from our house all together.
These are very inspirational. Rodeosweetheart, I've tried more intentional Sabbath keeping. My problem with that and really all of these is that it's too easy to slip back into old habits.
One thing that I've been doing for a while now is following the No S Diet - no snacks, no sweets, no seconds except on days that begin with S. I started it as a way to manage portion control without managing portion control if you know what I mean. Now I follow it as much as a spiritual discipline to "buffet my body". I am not and never will be an ascetic, but I do think it wise to be in charge of my appetites instead of my appetites being in charge of me. I also do it as a gesture (a very small gesture) to be in solidarity with all the people in the world who cannot eat whatever they want, whenever they want.
One of the unintended consequences is that food has become more celebratory. I am more grateful for what I eat, mainly because I'm often hungry when I eat it. I am satisfied with smaller amounts but I do admit that the smaller amounts need to be satiating in terms of taste and perceived nutrition. I like simple foods such as lentils and brown rice but I like them to taste good. I realize that not everyone has the option of having their food be fresh, nutritious and tasty.
The longer I've done this the more natural it's become. I am to the point where I have essentially given up snacks even on days they are allowed just because I don't like the way they make me feel.
I did get the e-book Twelve by Twelve, that catherine recommended. I am totally loving this book. Sorta like modern day Thoreau. Lots of inner experience to think about...
I have actually been thinking and re-thinking what I am all about and have decided that it is not "all about" me, lol. I certainly am lowering my expectations which is very freeing. It is not about living past my time, or being a vegan, or extreme frugality, etc. Although these things have their meaning for others, then that should what they are all about.
There really are few absolutes in this world. But one of them, to me, goes back to the golden rule or some interpretation of it. "If" I would spend my life helping others I will have done well and be satisfied. Taking care of myself, avoiding undue stress, getting rid of clutter, to me is a given since one needs a clear mind to go about the business of living well.
If it were all about me, I would probably become a hermit , but that is not helping anyone. But, as an introvert (not phobic about it), I do have to have a lot of solitude to function. I am getting better at this, too because I have put the word out that I must be alone sometimes. Then I am really working on "being there" when I am physically present.
Well I could live in a cave, own nothing, do nothing, eat raw whole foods that I pick myself, and spend my days contemplating the universe :-)! OK, not there - yet! But ideally the way I would like to live, and one that I think would lend itself to a greater spiritual life if that's what one seeks, is just having a tiny studio apt in the heart of a small city. No car, no stuff, no job, close to all, walk or bike, eat locally and organicly, use energy resources sparingly, don't buy or own anything that can be borrowed (books from the library, etc..), and spend my days in contemplation of the universe :-)! That is actually my dream life and one I am getting closer to day by day.
The other dream life I would have (and was suppose to be living now but circumstances changed - and yes, God IS laughing at my plans :-)!) is to own absolutely nothing and spend several years backpacking around the world under my own power - foot or bike. Staying in hostels during the travelling part, and renting rooms or small furnished apts for longer stays. Seeing all the great works of man and nature, and yes, contemplating the universe... in Paris... with a chocolate crossiant :-)!
we have been tv free now for about a year and a half. we watch movies and shows via download or rentals. it's cool. we watch far less tv than ever before, and we spend a lot more time talking to each other and playing with DS. :D
I remember when we were snowed in by 7' of snow a few years back, and how quiet it was. We lost power and phones, and so we basically spent three days cooking on the woodstove, drinking wine and eating simply, shoveling snow to try to get out to the road, helping the neighbors provide for themselves, playing music/singing, going to bed when the sun went down.
Others said "It must have been horrible!" But it wasn't. When I think back on it, it was a magical time, and I think subconsciously I've been trying to get back to that ever since :)
catherine
8-19-11, 10:08pm
I did get the e-book Twelve by Twelve, that catherine recommended. I am totally loving this book. Sorta like modern day Thoreau. Lots of inner experience to think about...
If it were all about me, I would probably become a hermit
Right now, I'm right there with you. I'm having a totally Trains, Planes, and Automobiles business travel day. 5 exhausting days of 3 cities, stressful interviews, little sleep--wanted to get home earlier than planned but planes cancelled to Newark. Then found out from my son that I left my lights on in my car in the parking deck in Trenton and so I need a jump after I fly to Newark and take a train to Trenton.
Then I have to drive up to VT to be with my family, but DH is giving me a hard time because "he spent a lot of money on the weekend" [DS31 b'day] and he misses me and why don't I just fly to Albany without my car and he'll pick me up--but planes don't fly direct from Detroit to Albany plus I like my car/independence.
Then I dropped my Amex card in the airport making reservations for a hotel, and had to report it lost.
So, as a result, I really need to do the HALT check (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired)--yes, I'm all four of those folks, so now I'm angry because of all kinds of backed up resentments I shouldn't be feeling.
Get me to that 12 x 12, quick! Because right now, all I want to do is sell my house AND my car that has a hidden key that I didn't know about so I was freaking out because my son couldn't even open the door because he thought it was only an electronic key and I thought I had to get a locksmith or a very expensive replacement, and I'm just ready to throw in the towel on this whole crazy lifestyle.
I'll be happy to get to VT where life is a little bit more mellow, but first I have to just plain get happy.
Sorry you are having such a difficult day, Catherine. Sometimes, we are simple in spite of our circumstances rather than because of them.
Cathrine - time to join me in my cave :-)! Nothing to do but watch the sun rise and set. OK, maybe a bit more to do than that but not too much. Hectic lives are tough to deal with and I know that once you are in VT all will be well. I'm heading that way my self soon and can't wait! Even though my life is as easy and uncomplicated as one can get, I know that getting out of the heat and traffic and barren landscape of SoCal will be a HUGE stress reducer for me! Can't beat VT in the fall for unwinding.
Gardenarian
8-31-11, 7:08pm
For the past several years I have been spending time at an ashram. I stay in a tent or a very simple small cabin (bed, chair, lamp.) I love the rhythm of life, rising with the sun, meditating, practicing yoga, cooking and washing the dishes, gardening, meditate more, more yoga, singing, and so to bed. As much as can be done outdoors is done so - there is a shaded platform for yoga, outdoor kitchen, and so on. I love that everyone does "karma yoga" which is work for the community. This is Radical Simplicity to me.
I always come home absolutely afire with energy and so inspired; I walk around picking up litter, weeding the plant beds along the streets and in the park, just completely buoyed up by this spiritual energy. I am dismayed by the duplication of resources - at the ashram many people share the refrigerator, washer, dryer, showers, etc. It seems strange to me that in every little cottage on my street we all have to invest in those things and maintain them! And then to spend most of the time indoors seems very odd.
It always fades eventually, and I honestly don't want to live at ashram (for one thing, I am not Hindu, though Hinduism does not conflict with my Paganism in any way.) I also need time to create things - time for myself, my own stuff. And yea, I like to watch the latest "Star Trek" movie and go out for ice cream now and then.
Anyhow, I do try to make our home life as much like the ashram as possible - positive thinking, practicing ahimsa (nonviolence, but beyond that), eating similar fresh, healthy foods, giving thanks for meals, yoga (and nature hikes, swimming) as spiritual as well as physical exercises, karma yoga - giving to the community - all that.
I have tried sleeping in a tent (and just out on the deck) at home, but it drives our dogs crazy (they sleep in my bed), and we have skunks. I would like to make sleeping outdoors possible somehow!
suonds lovely, G!
I find that when I move travel or go on retreat, i always bring back one thing to incorporate into my daily life. it's my "souvenir!" from travels. it really makes our lives so much richer, and they are often very simple things -- such as making sure you go for a hike, or having a "big breakfast" (a spread with lots of choices, but you don't have to eat everything, because you can put it away and eat it for breakfast throughout the week!).
So if you could, what would you do that falls under the category of stepping it a notch towards being radically simple? The goal is spiritual formation and not travel or saving for retirement which are both good and valuable but not what I'm looking for.
I would spend more time meditating - which would hopefully result in more spiritual formation. It would also mean I spent less time doing those activities that hinder other aspects of a more simple life for myself. i.e. less tv, less computer, less shopping, etc.
I am taking a big step towards my dream of having a small house with a large room attached so I can foster Boxer dogs. I have been collecting things like leashes, collars, bowls, food bins, etc...all on deep discount for some time. I have loved animals since I can remember. This is something I have been wanting to do for the past 15 or so years. It make me feel happy and anything that increases my face value is good with me. I only want a place big enough for a bed, my clothes, a table that I can use for eating, internet and my little side business, a couch and my tv- I love movies and sports too much. : ) I am currently making a list of what I need to be able to live- down to ever last fork, bowl, shoe, towel or otherwise. I am hoping to find a place within the next 6 months to put my plans in motion. I will still have to work but without the burden of upkeeping a large home and things will be wonderful. It will also give me more time with my family while we all do something positive or should that be pawsitive? ; )
Share something with someone every day. Some food, a ride, an umbrella, a laugh -- it doesn't really matter what it is.
Kindness is the most underrated virtue. But its generally contagious.
Interesting thread to read.
I have gone through many soul searching hours trying to figure out what I really want. I now know that I want a safe, secure location/shelter that is comfortable with simple furniture, heat (we bought a heat pump for hot and cool and use our local woodlot for heat), space to walk and garden, a place to meditate in peace and a place to share when family and friends need it. I have it all now and am very grateful.
I would love to have time to garden and can.
Gardenarian
9-8-11, 3:35pm
Share something with someone every day. Some food, a ride, an umbrella, a laugh -- it doesn't really matter what it is.
Kindness is the most underrated virtue. But its generally contagious.
+1!
@ Iris: I spent up until about 25 sitting on the floor. Even though I had furniture. It just makes your a$$ hurt. There is nothing life changing about it. I don't know why I was drawn to the floor. It just seemed right. But eventually I moved up to furniture and have not looked back.
Interesting thread to read.
I have gone through many soul searching hours trying to figure out what I really want. I now know that I want a safe, secure location/shelter that is comfortable with simple furniture, heat (we bought a heat pump for hot and cool and use our local woodlot for heat), space to walk and garden, a place to meditate in peace and a place to share when family and friends need it. I have it all now and am very grateful.
I really do think that you are in a very peaceful place in your life. How wonderful for you!
Do we just think it all to death, I wonder? So much is right there, I mean right there but do we appreciate or even see it? That would be me.
I seem to be too envolved in dramas that do not (or should not) include me. That just takes serenity from me. I am trying to quit. (work and family) We all need to grow up, but I can only be responsible for myself.
A few posts back ( I think it was by Anne Lee) there was a link to Richard Rohr's website. The first thing that caught my eye was: "The journey to happiness involves the courage to go down into ourselves and take responsiblity for what is there: all of it". If we do this I think that we wouldn't have a lot of time for the extra junk that seems to overtake us.
So do we not allow ourselves to complicate our own lives? In all areas?
Sherry
Amaranth
10-29-11, 11:46pm
Are there any specific areas you'd like to focus on currently?
For food, you might enjoy
***Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions by Elizabeth Andoh which is about using and appreciating all the edible parts of a vegetable
***Increasing the percentage of seasonal/local food you eat
***Testing out plans for a complete diet garden
***Focusing your diet around a set of 25 nutritious well balanced food for a month. Perhaps done 4 times with a different set of foods for each season.
For clothing, you might select a minimal versatile subset of your clothing that has good mix and max possiblilities and make good use of the various combinations.
For general living you might try seeing if you could select 100 of the items you currently have and see how well your daily life goes using those 100 items.
Are there some particular skills you'd like to learn or upgrade? If so consider focusing on one of those at a time until you have a basic level of skill.
Is there a service project you'd like to be a part of? What would need to happen to make that possible?
I'd eventually like to retire to a small place in NYC and stop owning and relying on a car. I really dislike a car centric lifestyle and feeling cut off from society. Somehow commuting and living via mass transit, foot or bicycle makes me feel more engaged to a community.
I dislike owning furniture, but keep it in the house because the vast majority of people prefer not to sit on the floor. I compromise by having a low coffee table with floor pillows on one side and a sofa on the other. I pretty much live on the floor and think it's good for keeping your leg/core muscles toned. If I could I would get rid of almost all of our furniture, but the rest of the family has vetoed me on that.
Yup! I love Good Will and our local thrift shop where outerwear is $1 a piece. I feel like its such a deal that I buy without much hesitation. Now, I can't even find something to wear because their are too many choices amongst the tumbling cascade tower of clothing!
First, I'd have this (http://www.hopperdesignllc.com/solarhomes/designs/Cabin%20Getaway%2012x20.php) home built, heat it and cool it with Geothermal Energy, get rid of our vehicle, and plant a monstrous garden.
happystuff
2-11-12, 10:53am
Finally allowed myself the time to read this entire thread and it was well-worth it! Thanks to all who posted and shared. Not sure I have anything to add. I think for me, right now, that while I have goals - I am trying to also concentrate on the journey towards those goals. I used to be so focused on the "end result" that I really think I missed so much along the way. Especially in little ways. Not sure if I can explain it, just that I want to be more "aware" of the little things involved in the big things.
catherine
2-11-12, 11:47am
Yes, this bump of an older thread is very timely for me: I've decided, as my 2012 Lent adventure, to live on $12000/year, or $1000 a month. (should work out to about $1500 total for Lent (46 days). Of course, I have to live "as if" in a couple of ways--such as, I do have a mortgage, and I'm not about to move into the back yard in a tent--at least not this time of year--but what I will do pretend I have no mortgage and only include the property taxes/utilities in the $1000. I also have costly health insurance, and I'm not about to cancel it, but I will try to get through the month without accessing it.
I'm prepping now--with researching prices and cheap recipes (I expect food will be the biggest challenge). But I'm looking forward to living close to the bone for 46 days.
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