In a world where change is constant, simplicity is essential. This really landed for me when I was salvaging the remains of my stuff after my house fire back in 2013. Moving it all around got old really fast. I started paring down to the essentials and it did not turn out as I expected.
I discovered that the real work of simplifying (and discovering what mattered) lay within myself. I'd been on the personal transformation path for decades at that time so it really surprised me how much work was still to be done. Some things were habits that I thought served me, but it turns out that it was time to go deeper. Here are 3 shifts where simplicity served me the most:
Less Tech More Touch. I used to be on my computer from morning to night. I would get an idea for a 30-day Event and create a lead page, promo emails, and social media posts and graphics in one day. My pace was frenzied. I loved that pouring through of creative vastness and my ability to launch instantly. It was compelling (and probably a bit addicting). That has all changed. My tech time is minimal these days. I'm coming up on a 6-month break from creating programs. Instead, I spend lots of time with loved ones and friends with whom I share deep connections. The person-to-person touch is essential and nurtures my essence.
Less Stuff More Substance. I have very little stuff these days. When I'd moved around I could fit everything in my car. I've settled into a more permanent home now so I've acquired some furniture but it's nothing like I used to have. My days are spent in the things that truly bring me joy: family, working out, writing, reading, meditating, and connecting. I'm also cooking more than I ever have, lol! (I'll confess that my book count is starting to climb, but I often share those books with others now.)
Less Money More Meaning. There is nothing wrong with money. At the time of the fire, I was making quite a bit. I was probably focusing on it more than I usually did. Doing it for the money is a sure path to inauthenticity, one where I was walking the razor's edge. Making more money is not the most powerful motivating factor in creating meaning in your world. I've discovered that when I am in alignment with the creative forces and move in accordance with my essence, it all turns out. Today more than ever doing your work in the world is service of the highest order. Cutting back on the need for more money creates room to navigate the world more freely. The less you need the freer you are.
I don't profess to have arrived at a total state of simplicity, but I am less tethered to the stuff and more enmeshed in my inner self. And that, darlings, creates more joy moment to moment. It frees you to know what's true and meaningful and life is richer and more precious!
Image by Evren Ozdemir from Pixabay
