simplicity

This is something I’ve been thinking on for a while now. What living in simplicity means. Tyler and I have been listening to a podcast series on simplicity from Bridgetown church. Simplicity of heart, speech, apparel, things, pleasure, space. But how we live in a culture of more. And that more will make you happier. 

This isn’t true even a little bit and is actually so incredibly the opposite. 

[Also need to point out that living simply is not living as a minimalist. These are two different things.] 

The idea of living simple is so attractive to me right now. I’ve been feeling stuffed full, and not in a good way. Stuffed of things that don’t bring anything positive to the table. I’ve noticed that I’m distracted by so many unnecessary things. Unnecessary thoughts. And do those things give me life? Do the things I think about inspire me to be and do better? Do the people I talk to and interact with leave me with the feeling of hope? Positivity? Do they motivate me to continue thinking there is still good in the world and there is still good to do?

But what does it mean to live simply and continually do it? For anyone? For me? Actually putting it into practice in my own life? 

I should make a note here that I am a 4 wing 3 on the enneagram. I’m a feeler. I used to hate this about myself. Always being called “too sensitive” and being told “if I would just stop being so sensitive”, etc. Then I learned to embrace it and learn from it. It’s something I’m still working on. Now I am somewhere in between loving it and wishing some days I wasn’t a feeler. It’s exhausting to feel all the feels all the time. But because I know I am this way, I have learned (and continue to learn daily) how to lean into it and make decisions based on how I feel about something mixed with logic and wisdom, cause Lord knows if I acted on every emotion I felt, I would have no friends.

Anyways, back to simplicity. What does simplifying mean practically in my life?

Maybe this means simplifying who I follow on Instagram.

Maybe this means significantly limiting how much time I spend on social media. Mostly limiting it using it ways I can grow my business, as well as connect with people- not mindlessly scroll through my feed. I’ve already started doing this and it’s made me much more present.

Maybe it means getting rid of a few of the 2,843 mugs that are all ‘my favorite’ that sit up in our kitchen cupboard. Do I really need that many? Some days I absolutely think so, but I really don’t.

Maybe it means getting rid of mostly all of my nail polish except for maybe the 5 bottles I actually use every now and then.

Maybe it means saving a couple cozy sweatshirts and donating the rest (my sweatshirt collection is impressive, if I do say so myself. And I think they are all perfectly unique and serve a specific purpose. That’s the 4 in me.).

Like I said, I am a 4 wing 3 on the enneagram and have an emotional connection to almost everything that breathes. And doesn’t breathe. Logically, I know I don’t need 50+ sweatshirts, some looking so ratty that throwing them in the dryer might turn them into shreds. But emotionally, they make me feel warm. So although this idea of simplifying sounds so good, putting it to practice can actually feel painful. 

I think simplicity also can mean going back to doing things how they used to be done, without tons of gadgets and gizmos, without processed ingredients, without getting things in bulk so you have hundreds of one thing. More diy projects and crafts, more small trips to the local market (instead of massive trips to Costco), using more of what’s already in our cupboard when it comes to preparing meals instead of taking trips to the store for even more things. Maybe this will force me to get creative- possibly spark some of the creativity I’ve felt like I’ve lost over the years. I’m missing an ingredient? No problem- what’s in our cupboard that can replace it? 

Of course, this is done within reason. But I am feeling a strong pull towards living this simply. Feeling content with what I have. Experiencing a peace of mind, not feeling like i need more. 

I also listened to an Armchair Expert podcast where they interview a guy named Jud Brewer. He’s a psychiatrist, neuroscientist and author. They talk about contentment versus satisfaction. In this society, satisfaction is the goal when contentment is where the real peace comes from. What do you think the difference is between the two? I saw the most recent podcast from Bridgetown is titled “Simplicity & Contentment”. I’m looking forward to giving this a listen to see what they have to say about it.

I anticipate this process to be a little bit of a roller coaster. Lots of ups, lots of downs, probably more than a few tears and moments of feeling so stuck and beyond frustrated. 

The timing couldn’t be better and I want to capitalize on that. Moving into our new house sometime this month- the square footage is bigger, but our bedroom and kitchen space is significantly smaller than the apartments we’ve previously lived in. There’s no room for extra things, even if they do have some purpose. Let’s be real, I can find a purpose for just about anything.

Learning from the Armchair Expert podcast, I want to adopt lagom. People in the Swedish culture strive to achieve this daily. It means “Not too little. Not too much. Just right.”

Lord, give me strength.