What is simplicity?

Sometimes a thing is easier to define by saying what it is not

rather than what it is.

Simplicity is not…

…living a primitive life in a mud hut or becoming a back to the land “hippie…”

Simplicity is not…

…withdrawing from the world in order to become a hermit or a recluse…

Simplicity is not…

…a life of deprivation and tight-fisted miserliness.

Simplicity is not…

…a life of ease, passivity or laziness.

Simplicity is not…

…always the cheapest option.

What is simplicity?

When something is simple…

…it is free of needless complication.

When something is simple…

…it is free of distraction.

When something is simple…

…it is comprised of few parts.

When something is simple…

…it is unadorned, pure and ordinary.

When something is simple…

…it is pleasing and beautiful.

A simple life is like that.

A simple life conserves our most precious personal resources…

time

energy

attention

money

interests

abilities

Resources that all too often we fritter away on endless trivial errands

the minutiae of daily life

and the “tyranny of the urgent.”

Simplicity allows us to reclaim those resources…

…and direct them toward things that are truly important…

personal growth

important relationships

worship of God

service to our neighbor

activities that bring joy and meaning to our lives

A simple life is one lived consciously and deliberately (rather than on “auto pilot”) within a framework of carefully selected constraints, in pursuit of meaning and the fulfillment of deeper aspirations.

This website contains my reflections on this topic. I hope you find them helpful!

He is truly rich who can say “I have enough.”

–unknown