What does Simple Living Mean?

from Wikipedia:

Simple living (voluntary simplicity) is a lifestyle characterized by minimizing the 'more-is-better' pursuit of wealth and consumption. Adherents may choose simple living for a variety of personal reasons, such as spirituality, health, increase in 'quality time' for family and friends, stress reduction, personal taste or frugality.

Others cite socio-political goals aligned with the anti-consumerist movement, including conservation, social justice and sustainable development. According to Duane Elgin, "we can describe voluntary simplicity as a manner of living that is outwardly more simple and inwardly more rich, a way of being in which our most authentic and alive self is brought into direct and conscious contact with living."^[1]

from The Simple Living Network:

Simple living — aka voluntary simplicity — has just about as many definitions as there are individuals who practice it. Simple living is not about living in poverty or self-inflicted deprivation. Rather, it is about living an examined life — one in which you have determined what is important, or "enough," for you, discarding the rest.

To me, living simply means first and foremost, being creative and purposeful. Thinking outside of the box to get what my family needs, and providing also what it wants, without accumulating more "stuff" or spending needlessly. Living purposefully through family rituals, planning grocery store trips thoughtfully, nurturing relationships, and exploiting my talents, skills and abilities instead of being victimized by a complete lack of preparation, leading to emergency drive thru McDonald's visits, triple digit grocery store reciepts, rotten veggies in the fridge and suddenly realizing that though there are clothes covering the floor, nothing....fits....anyone.....

It means chucking a consumerist, disposable, dependent lifestyle, and focusing on maximizing the life and use of what I currently have, and everything that comes through my hands.

Of course there is a balance, there are exceptions. There still are only 24 hours in a day, and my time is the most precious commodity I have or will ever have. So in those 24 hours, I may choose not cloth diaper in order to focus on other more dear things to me. I may choose to keep bleach on hand for the really nasty messes. I may decide not to attend a function so that I can spend couple time with my partner, or simply stay in by myself and have some "me" time. To me, simple living doesn't mean living as a martyr for some lofty, sacrificial, spiritual principle. On the contrary. It is anything I can do which brings relief to the chaotic world around me, brings my inner peace, and feeds my relationships with others. It is not a lifestyle of deprivation. It is a lifestyle of abundance.

To me, there is no one "right" way to live simply. The beauty in it, is that there are no rules. There does seem to be a common thread though, a lingering connection between having less and doing more, and buying less and giving more. Beyond that, it's up to interpretation.

Readers! I would love to hear your interpretation and what simple living means to you!