What is voluntary simplicity?
How living simply can allow more space for happiness
When my dear husband told me he read a book called Voluntary Simplicity and was inspired by the concept, I started asking him what voluntary simplicity meant. When he started explaining the concept to me, I knew I had to dig in and read it too.
So, what is it?
The author, Duane Elgin, describes it as, “a way of living that is outwardly simple and inwardly rich.” My biggest takeaway was that living this way is a continual balance of the inner and outer aspects of our lives. It’s not necessarily being fanatical about living with less, but about being intentional about it so you have the space to live from a place of purpose and fulfillment.
And how do you know if you’re living from a place of purpose and fulfillment?
That’s an inside job where you get to explore all about you! What are your values? What lights you up and brings you joy when you speak about it? Regularly meditating and journaling about what comes up for you can be incredibly helpful when you’re navigating your way to finding purpose and fulfillment. I’ve been on this journey my entire adult life so far, and I finally feel like I’m making some progress.
I’ve always been drawn to simpler ways of living. Growing up, we spent a lot of time outdoors: camping, fishing and hiking. I can remember being so excited to go camping with my dad and brother. We had this huge Coleman tent that we helped put together, and I thought it was so neat that we could cook our meals outside. To this day, cooking outside gives me that same feeling of joy! It’s interesting that I remember these moments and experiences with my family more than I ever remember an item that was given to me. Each time I reflect on this, it reminds me of how much more important it is to spend time with the ones you love. Memories last forever.
When you think back on what brought you joy and excitement when you were young, what comes to mind? If you’ve been struggling with finding purpose and fulfillment, this could be a helpful exercise to explore and identify what those might be for you.
After reading this book, I couldn’t help but wonder what our world would look like if each of us living in developed nations practiced voluntary simplicity. Are people living in alignment with their values? Are people aware of what their values are?
I found it fascinating the amount of research that indicates that when materialistic values are at the center of one’s life, the more their quality of life is diminished. But what if we learn to prioritize intrinsic values over materialism? It’s not that we shouldn’t want nice things, but making sure that doesn’t become the beacon of what makes us “happy” is important. As we grow and experience life, it seems natural for one’s values to shift and evolve over time. For example, these are some of my core values that I tune into as I’m navigating day-to-day life:
Peace: Is what I’m investing my time and money into promoting peace and justice within my community?
Kindness: Am I engaging throughout my day from a place of kindness and respect?
Exploration: Does what I’m doing allow me to learn something new about a community or a culture? And how can I positively contribute to this community or culture?
Health: How is what I’m engaging with supportive to my mental and physical health, as well as the health and wellbeing of those around me?
Inner growth: How does something allow me the space to grow and learn not only for my own inner growth, but so I can best serve my family, neighbors and community?
Centering around and growing within your values can be the path to engaging with the sustainable happiness we are all seeking. When we prioritize growing from within our intrinsic values over material-based values, it opens up so much more space for happiness. I’d like to leave you with this quote from the book that really resonated with me:
”Historian of the simple life David Shi describes the common denominator among the various approaches to simpler living as the understanding that the making of money and the accumulation of things should not smother the purity of the soul, the life of the mind, the cohesion of the family, or the good of the society.” - D. Elgin, Voluntary Simplicity
Thank you for reading, and I’m wishing you all a lovely weekend! I hope you have an opportunity for rest and can engage with something that brings you joy.