After being a long time lurker, I want to say something.
To me, simple living isn't about things like moving to another country to get away from consumerism, living in a tiny home or out of a van, getting rid of your technology or social media, doing something less or something else more, what it comes down to me is being able to have an open, healthy mind and live in a world that you're happy with, most days.
I'm a young female in my 20s living in a cozy apartment with my wonderful fiance, our two gorgeous kitties, I have a well paying job that is 10 minutes from my home and offers a great work-life balance, I play sports, read a lot, see my friends and family almost every weekend, adventure, love, live, everything.
My world is bright, it is colourful and I am incredibly blessed to be this happy. I know I'm happy because when I am sad on the rare occasion or angry, or anything else negative, my world turns and feels grey.
My life probably isn't that impressive to outlookers but I don't care. I love being able to come home and snuggle my fiance and our cats, pick up a book and drink my herbal fruit tea with the window open as it rains. I love living less than an hour from both of our families, I love it all. We go to festivals on the weekend, to movies, to events, or we can just stay in and cuddle, make some cookies and watch Netflix or do a puzzle. Neither is better than the other, it's all happiness to me, it's my life, the moments in every day that I live with eyes and heart open.
People go back and forth arguing that people can't be happy while working full time "stuck in an office", while having social media, or doing X, not doing Y, or that people need to be doing more of this or this, blah blah blah.
The thing is, your simple life and your happiness are yours to define. Who cares what anybody else says?
I once posted online that I have this Ikigai chart hung up at my desk and that it makes me happy to look at it knowing that I believe I have all of the spaces filled, that my heart is full. A person commented back about how sad it must be that I have it hung up at my desk in an office, that I'm stuck inside all day instead of exploring the world and you know what I thought? I thought it was sad that they have such high expectations of happiness, that they need to travel the world and have 24/7 adventures to feel fulfilled.
At the end of the day, it's your life. What others say is mere opinion and they're not in YOUR mind. If your simple living is traveling out of a van, that's awesome; but it's no better simple living than my happiness in working an office job but having the peace and happiness to come home to a wonderful family, having amazing friends, and living my simple life my own way.
Hugs to everyone, I hope you have a wonderful week & happy Easter to everybody celebrating!
Submitted April 17, 2019 at 04:20PM by lenerz http://bit.ly/2IqX3XZ
