Secrets Of How To Live A Simple Life

Adapted from "How To Live A Simple Life," at 999 Ideas .com.

Do you really want the "simple life?" Many people want the complexity and constant drama of their lives. We have to meditate n this and look at honestly. On the other hand, some of us really want simplicity, and some would want it if they knew what it felt like to live more simply and at peace. Here, then, are a few secrets on how to get there.

Say No - Or Yes - But Do So Honestly

One secret to how to live a simple life is to look honestly at how we complicate our lives and stop doing those things. It may be different for each of us, but there are some common habits. The first one is taking on responsibilities without fully acknowledging the costs and complexities they add to our lives.

If you bought a new boat, for example, would you think about the time you will spend maintaining it? Would you think about the trip to the insurance office for insurance, the necessity to shop for accessories like life-jackets and fire extinguishers? Would you remind yourself that boats break down, and you'll have to deal with hauling it someplace to have it repaired? Would you consider the trailer-hitch you'll need, the tarp to cover the boat, the tarp to replace that one when it tears, the bearings in the trailer wheels that will someday fail. Finally, would you think about the hours you'll have to work to pay for all this fun?

Nothing is wrong with owning a boat, by the way. If little else is going on in your life, all of the above could easily be a part of "the simple life." No one thing is too much, but when we don't recognize the complexity our choices add to our lives, we tend take on more than we can reasonably handle. It's no wonder that a million exercise machines sit unused in basements while ten million hours are spent working to pay for them. Look at all the costs, and make honest, well-informed choices. Seeing the complexity is the first step to dropping it.

Money Can Bring Simplicity

Isn't it simpler for a rich man to own a boat? He can pay someone to take care of it while he plays with his kids. Money can bring that kind of simplicity to your life, but it is all in how you use it. This is the second secret of how to live a simple life.

Many people use money in ways that overly complicate life, as when they put a down payment on a hot tub that they really don't need. They need to work to pay the interest, and clean the tub, and find a place for it, and have it repaired on occasion. If you are wealthy enough, someone will take care of these things for you. If, however, you make $8 per hour, a hot tub will overly complicate your life.

The choice, then, if you really want the simple life, is to make more money, or to live a life that is simply supported by your current income. Once I paid off the mortgage loan on my first home, and got rid of the car, life was simpler and more relaxing. As I make me money, I can easily do more, and add more "things" back into my life, but I try to maintain the balance, so life remains simple.

Drama Isn't Simple

Want a simpler life? Have fewer friends. It may sound harsh, but how many friends do you need? Of course you shouldn't drop true friendships, but you don't need to add people to your life unless there is a real exchange of value between you. We all know people we call "friends" and yet tolerate just to "be nice." You don't owe anything to these people, and if it seems selfish to say you don't, how selfish is it for them to say you do?

With friends and family that you choose to have, don't get involved in the drama more than you need to. If you watch closely, you'll notice that until a person is ready to change, you rarely can help them in any case, neither with words nor with money. Conserve your efforts for those times when you truly can help. You're not born with an obligation to anyone, and it's incredibly selfish for anyone to make claims on your life. Let the drama swirl around you, but don't get involved in it. This is a crucial lesson on how to live a simple life.

The Meditation Site | How To Live A Simple Life