Oh, for a simple life…
Simplicity as a virtue consists in being focused on doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing, in the place where you are supposed to be doing it — and then stripping away any impediments or distractions.
My Dearest Friend,
Sometimes, I long for my life to be more simple — but I also seem infinitely capable of making it more complicated! Achieving a greater level of simplicity can seem outside of my ability.
Stories about groups and individuals that have embraced a joyful, radical simplicity serve as an inspiration to me. Maybe I can’t live off-grid, join an Amish community, or live in a monastery. But there are small lessons that can be learned from those stories that I can apply to my own life.
Here is one such story, about a young man who has embraced a life of simplicity to live closer to nature, live closer to God, and be more at peace.
“Simple” is relative, of course. What is simple (easy, uncluttered, essential — however you define it) for one may not be simple for another.
Ultimately, I believe simplicity as a virtue consists in being focused on doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing, in the place where you are supposed to be doing it — and then stripping away any impediments or distractions. That is something that we can all do, regardless of state of life or circumstance.
The catch, of course, is that you need to know “what you are supposed to be doing.” However, my experience is that most people — and I include myself in this — know what they are supposed to be doing. What holds me back from a life of simplicity is that my vision of myself does not agree with the reality of myself. And one might wonder if I am ever supposed to be doing something of which I am not capable.
Anyway, more on that bigger idea later. For the moment, I hope the above video gives you some smiles and some hints about living a happy, simple life!
Love always,
John