This was penned by a contributor to i-asianwomen.com called Lee Bee Doe (which I am SURE is not her real name).
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When I decided to leave regular employment to strike out on my own as an independent professional, one of the main reasons was the conviction that I wanted very much to simplify my life. I looked at the lifestyle I led then and told myself: This has to stop!
I need to take stock, lighten my baggage (emotional and physical) and renews ties with the free spirit that I had lost touch with. Just look at the sheer superfluous-ness of it all. The two cars, the fancy meals, designer labels, the Rolex. What did it really mean at the end of the day? It wasn't difficult for me to conclude that I could do less with the material trappings and more with less stress, less material belongings, better health, especially mentally, and a richer intellectual and spiritual life.
Simple living is sometimes called "downshifting." It reduces our frenzied life so that we enjoy it more fully. It means less time in an artificial environment, and more time to do the things which matter to you.
In my case, working from home gave me flexibility in the hours that I worked, and more time for my children, family and friends. It involved less shopping, less clutter, less pressure and less consumption. And usually that means being more frugal, more organised, and more efficient.
The simplicity starts from the way you wake up in the morning to the time you rest that weary head on the pillow. Breakfast need not be hurried and harried, contributing to ill-health and all manner of gastro-intestinal disorders. And eating a healthy, leisurely breakfast also means less snacking later on, which works wonderfully to keep those superfluous inches off!
The rest of the day can then start with planning what you want to achieve for that day. Different agendas for different days and of course, family figures high in them. If my children are nearing their exams, there's more time for one-on-one revision. Simply having the time to plan activities together is in itself rewarding. It gives me so much joy to see the girls glow with achievement when we spend our Saturday afternoons making a batch of recycled paper or creating origami animals for their doll house.
If a friend is unwell or in need of a shoulder to cry on, what a relief it is to be able to change gear, drop or postpone stuff and go to a pal in need. But I digress.
Simplicity frees one's mind and spirit to pay attention to what really matters. As Reverend Jesse Jackson said, "It's your presence and not your presents, that your kids want." Well, for those of you who do not have children, or for whom children and family are not your highest priority, simplifying your life can be equally meaningful. It will mean having more time and energy doing the things which you have always wanted to do: learn a new language, travel to Peru, start a herb farm. To each her own.
Of course, getting off the treadmill of regular work does mean doing without some of the things we used to take for granted. But do possessions reflect the quality of our lives? Are we happier because we have that new PDA, or the new Nike trainers, or that new 3-door fridge? Is shopping the most nurturing way to spend our increasingly limited time? How long do your new pair of Ferragamo pumps keep you happy before they get relegated to the back of the shoe cupboard?
We work our butts off, day in day out, year in year out, because we want a better life, we tell ourselves. Or a better future for our children. And so we spend 12-hour days at the office with the children at their grandparents (if you are so lucky) or with a maid. We start using e-grocery websites to shop for our essentials and literally order flowers by e-mail without taking the time to smell the roses!
Is this what life is all about? Not for me and not any more.
Perhaps you'd like to take a step back and see if your current paradigm needs to be given a good shakeup as well. Believe me, retail therapy is not effective for couples, children or families. More purchases, more packaging, more trash and more fodder for the landfill. For me now, it's less consumption, less calories, more health, more wellbeing, more time for the things that really matter to me : body, mind, spirit, family, friends (not necessarily in that order!)
by Lee Bee Doe
5th October, 2000
When I decided to leave regular employment to strike out on my own as an independent professional, one of the main reasons was the conviction that I wanted very much to simplify my life. I looked at the lifestyle I led then and told myself: This has to stop!
I need to take stock, lighten my baggage (emotional and physical) and renews ties with the free spirit that I had lost touch with. Just look at the sheer superfluous-ness of it all. The two cars, the fancy meals, designer labels, the Rolex. What did it really mean at the end of the day? It wasn't difficult for me to conclude that I could do less with the material trappings and more with less stress, less material belongings, better health, especially mentally, and a richer intellectual and spiritual life.
Simple living is sometimes called "downshifting." It reduces our frenzied life so that we enjoy it more fully. It means less time in an artificial environment, and more time to do the things which matter to you.
In my case, working from home gave me flexibility in the hours that I worked, and more time for my children, family and friends. It involved less shopping, less clutter, less pressure and less consumption. And usually that means being more frugal, more organised, and more efficient.
The simplicity starts from the way you wake up in the morning to the time you rest that weary head on the pillow. Breakfast need not be hurried and harried, contributing to ill-health and all manner of gastro-intestinal disorders. And eating a healthy, leisurely breakfast also means less snacking later on, which works wonderfully to keep those superfluous inches off!
The rest of the day can then start with planning what you want to achieve for that day. Different agendas for different days and of course, family figures high in them. If my children are nearing their exams, there's more time for one-on-one revision. Simply having the time to plan activities together is in itself rewarding. It gives me so much joy to see the girls glow with achievement when we spend our Saturday afternoons making a batch of recycled paper or creating origami animals for their doll house.
If a friend is unwell or in need of a shoulder to cry on, what a relief it is to be able to change gear, drop or postpone stuff and go to a pal in need. But I digress.
Simplicity frees one's mind and spirit to pay attention to what really matters. As Reverend Jesse Jackson said, "It's your presence and not your presents, that your kids want." Well, for those of you who do not have children, or for whom children and family are not your highest priority, simplifying your life can be equally meaningful. It will mean having more time and energy doing the things which you have always wanted to do: learn a new language, travel to Peru, start a herb farm. To each her own.
Of course, getting off the treadmill of regular work does mean doing without some of the things we used to take for granted. But do possessions reflect the quality of our lives? Are we happier because we have that new PDA, or the new Nike trainers, or that new 3-door fridge? Is shopping the most nurturing way to spend our increasingly limited time? How long do your new pair of Ferragamo pumps keep you happy before they get relegated to the back of the shoe cupboard?
We work our butts off, day in day out, year in year out, because we want a better life, we tell ourselves. Or a better future for our children. And so we spend 12-hour days at the office with the children at their grandparents (if you are so lucky) or with a maid. We start using e-grocery websites to shop for our essentials and literally order flowers by e-mail without taking the time to smell the roses!
Is this what life is all about? Not for me and not any more.
Perhaps you'd like to take a step back and see if your current paradigm needs to be given a good shakeup as well. Believe me, retail therapy is not effective for couples, children or families. More purchases, more packaging, more trash and more fodder for the landfill. For me now, it's less consumption, less calories, more health, more wellbeing, more time for the things that really matter to me : body, mind, spirit, family, friends (not necessarily in that order!)
by Lee Bee Doe
5th October, 2000
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