A simple life. What is it? And what is it that draws us to a simple life?
What a simple life is, of course, is a matter of opinion. What signifies a simple life to one person, might not signify a simple life to another.
With that being said, this is what a simple life means to me.
A simple life is not easy.
It involves hard work and huge sacrifices. A simple life means dirty hands, muddy boots, and clean clothes on the line. It’s filled with work, but far from the busyness of modern society.
It means striving for self reliance.
Self reliance means that you don’t need much from outside sources. You strive to be independent from the craziness of modern life. It means cooking from scratch, and growing, raising, and preserving your food.
A simple life is less expensive.
You make your own cleaners, grow your own food, and mend your own clothes. Things that you grow, raise, and make usually cost less than what you can buy it for. You will find that you spend less on “non-essential” things. Frivolous spending slows way down when you don’t want for much.
It means growing your own food.
It grounds you, and makes you realize the connection to the earth and the soil. You feel drawn to growing your own food, and providing for your family. Realizing the health concerns of food additives, herbicides, and pesticides, you decide what is best for your family, is to grow your own food so you can eliminate those concerns.
It means less strain on the environment.
Since you need less from outside sources, the strain on the environment is lessened. Your food chain is shorter. You become more in-tune with a healthy, toxin-free home. Most will probably ditch the chemical-laden cleaners and artificial ingredients. You might even invest in reusable commodities like un-paper towels, reusable beeswax “saran wrap”, or mama cloths.
A simple life means happy kids.
Kids thrive in a simple environment. They play outside, blissfully unaware of the turmoil in modern life. They get dirty, run around barefoot, and play in muddy ditch water. The kids have superb immune systems, and learn the value of hard work. They learn to respect life and death. Simple kids just stay happier.
It means less stress.
When you live a simple life, there is so much less stress. Less competition, no need to “keep up with the Jones’s”. It means peace and quiet. It means you sit on the porch in the evenings, sipping a cup of tea, listening to the crickets and frogs. A simple life doesn’t have the constant hum of modern society. It leads to immensely less anxiety and stress.
It means easy meals and a simple lifestyle.
When I think of a simple life, it’s filled with simple, comforting meals. Steak and potatoes, chicken and dumplings, or a hearty chicken noodle soup. Home baked bread in the oven, cookies cooling on the rack, and warm banana bread fill the house with the soothing aroma of simplicity.
What does a simple life mean to you?
Now it’s your turn. What does living a simple life mean to you? Are you living it? Or is it something you’re striving for? Please share in the comments!
If you’d like more help with gardening and sustainability, you need to check out Ultimate Bundle’s Gardening and Sustainable Living Bundle. It has 6 courses, 21 ebooks, and 5 planners and printables, for ONLY $24.99!
This post may be shared on Family Homesteading and Off The Grid Blog Hop, Simple Homestead Blog Hop, Farm Fresh Tuesday, and Old Paths to New Homesteading & Self-Reliant Living.
