Simplicity

The other night, I was out on the back porch of my in-laws' (we recently moved in with them), enjoying a little quiet time buried in a cup of tea and my journal, reflecting on the idea of simplicity. I have always striven for a simple lifestyle, not bound or burdened by extraneous, unnecessary things, but lately I have not quite lived up to my minimalist desires. It would take deeper, riskier self-examination to understand the reasons behind this failure, which will eventually come, but for now it is sufficient to acknowledge that I am not living the way I want to and that I can take steps to change.

The upheaval of moving brought into sharp light the overwhelming abundance of stuff we have that we absolutely do not need. I have always been a believer in "A place for everything and everything in its place," but the sheer volume of things we possess right now, even after filtering through and donating a few boxes' worth, easily outweighs the number of places we have for them.

So begins my quest for a simpler life. I am a highly organized individual, so the chaos of a full house that I have no control over is a test of my patience, but my hope is that by focusing on simplicity, on not just taking a hard look at material simplicity but also inner simplicity, I will find some semblance of peace that I can then carry over when we do have our own space. This is a long-term project, a long-term goal. Anyone who knows me well can tell you I am not exactly famous for my ability to follow through on even my best-laid, well-intentioned plans, but this is something I feel I must commit to in order to lead the kind of life I would like to lead; it encompasses many of the other goals I've had in a way that ties them all together. But I am getting ahead of myself.

I am approaching this goal, this project, with a strategy not unlike a business plan, with subgoals and deadlines and if necessary, a budget. I will begin with small, tangible, achievable steps and then move up to the Big Ones. I do not expect this to move quickly or easily, but I am finding ways to remind myself of the end goal and its worth. 

My journal entry, the catalyst for all this highfalutin' talk, begins with some selective portions of Merriam-Webster's definition of the word "simple."

Simple (adj): Free from ostentation or display; of humble origin or modest position; free of secondary complications; free from elaboration or figuration; readily understood

Can you tell which words stood out to me?

I then moved to the word "simplicity" and found a slightly nuanced version of its root word's definition:

Simplicity (n): easy to understand or do; plain or natural

So here were my initial thoughts, taken directly from said journal entry:

"Free from ostentation or display. This equates to humility. So if satisfaction comes from simplicity, and simplicity comes out of humility, I've got to follow that logic and start with humility." So personally, my first focus is on that great, undervalued quality that at first glance seems so counterintuitive. For the next few days I will be taking a good long look at what it means to be humble, doing some research and some introspection, and I will be back on Thursday to expound.

Here are some questions I will be reflecting on:

Why do I want a simpler life? 

What are my goals? What's the context? What are my priorities?

Why have I been reluctant to change in the past, especially in the form of small, positive changes?

What does it mean to be humble? How does this apply directly to my life and everyday interactions?

My journaling companion

- The Professor's Wife