Voluntary Simplicity

I also wanted the fame with the fortune. I wanted to “be” someone. Someone that people admired, wanted to be. I wanted people to want my fabulous life.

Hitting my fortieth year was a shock. I had none of these things. Well, not exactly. Little did I realise it at the time, but I was somebody I admired, and strangely, other people also admired me. Not for the reasons of having lots of stuff. But because of who I was. I also had and have a fabulous life, and it simply gets more fabulous every year.

The journey to here has been an incredible one, and I would not change one step. Now, as I approach my 50th year, I am a big fan of voluntary simplicity. Not only do I not want all the stuff, I want less in my life on every level. I do not want stuff to take care of. I don’t need more than one home, or car. There are fantastic homes and places around the world that are available for rent if I want. I have a wardrobe full of great clothes, some by very good Australian designers, all brought with consideration, all able to be worn smartly for years. I have enough. I don’t want or need lots of rooms. They just need cleaning, even if someone else does it for me. Another thing to manage and care for. I’d rather not. I would much rather spend my time managing things I love to manage.

The global economic crisis has taught me a lot. It has finally, after all these years, taught me the joy of living below my means. Of spending cash and not credit. And if there is no cash, not spending at all. I feel freer than I ever have when I live in voluntary simplicity. I love that the things I do buy, I buy with great consideration. Does this item really add richness to my life on every level? I love that there are so many things that I would have brought two years ago, that I simply can do without now. Not only do without, I just don’t miss them, not one bit.

I love that living in voluntary simplicity I have friends around for dinner instead of going out. And we all bring something. It’s so much more relaxed. The food is better most of the time, because it is super fresh, local, and cooked with care. Definitely the wine is. We show up in our comfy clothes, we laugh more.

I do not feel like I am missing anything. I adore French champagne, but really, if you drank champagne every night, it would not be so special. I do get to travel, and I am happy just to be traveling. I prefer the local experience of travel than the 5 Star that usually keeps you several steps apart from the local experience. 5 Star is great, and again, if you have a clean room, clean bed, hot shower, working toilet, and free wifi, the rest is really not that important. I can have 5 Star every now and again, which is fun. Some of the small hotels I have stayed in around the world have really great staff that treat you with great thoughtfulness and care, as if you are a part of their family. This I would always prefer over the stiffness of many 5 Star venues.

Voluntary simplicity means I get to fill my days and hours with what I value. I would rather earn less than work at some job that destroyed my soul, or had me riding waves of anxiety and stress. I am able to surround myself with quality, because I don’t need much at all, and a little bit of quality doesn’t cost that much.

In my path to falling in love with voluntary simplicity I have learned about what I really value.

My friends and family..top of the list. Hanging out with people who are important to me is precious beyond any stuff.

My health... I can run anywhere, anytime. I can eat simple fresh seasonal and local food. I get good stress free sleep.

My work...that it comes from a place inside me that is yearning to be voiced. That it flows, and brings value in multiples to others.

My time...that it is filled with things that make my heart sing. That I can get a good night sleep almost every night, do exercise everyday, spend time with people who enrich me, be of service to as many people as I can, learn from others, both live and virtually, and finish the day with a good meal, a good book, and peace in my heart. That my day is not spend running madly from this to that. That there is time to breath, look at the birds, care for my herbs, walk the dog, hang out with my daughter.

I have learned to hone my definition of integrity.

The sweet sweet paradox of all of this voluntary simplicity is that I am almost certain that now that I no longer want all of the things that drove my ambition in the beginning, I will end up having them land at my feet. This time however, I will not need them to make me feel like I am someone. I am someone no matter what I have, how much money is in my bank account, what my asset value is. I like who I am, the good, the bad and the ugly. I am still working on my growth as a person, and will do so until the day I die. However, I am happy in my own skin, exactly where things are right now. I do not need this or that or this...to be happy. I live in joy everyday and feel so lucky I almost can’t comprehend it.

And if it all lands at my feet...what will I do? Probably not much more than I do now. Figure out how to help more people by the way I live my life. That really is what I have set out to do, unbeknown to me, from day one. Live my life in a way that is aligned with the core of who I am. Be in Integrity. Be in integrity. That is all....oh joy...

Do you also love voluntary simplicity?

Do you have a great story about voluntary simplicity? Please share!