Simplify your life

There are several benefits of smaller living quarters. First, it is simply not possible to accumulate a large number of possessions without sufficient room for them. Also, a smaller space takes less time to clean and maintain and is typically less expensive. Finally, your energy use and cost will be less in a smaller place.

We live in a time of unprecedented abundance. It's easy to accumulate "stuff" that has no real value or use to us and only creates clutter. Take a look at your stuff and decide what is useful and worth keeping and what is simply taking up space. As a general rule, to reduce clutter, get rid of everything you haven't used in more than a year, except, of course, items that have sentimental value. Be sure to dispose of electronic devices such as computers and TVs properly, by contacting services that resell or recycle them in your area. If you leave them in the trash, they will end up in landfills where they ultimately leach toxic metals into the groundwater and atmosphere.

Doing what you truly want may require time, risk, and effort. It may take one to two years to gain the retraining or retooling you need to begin a new career. Then you may have to endure some time at an entry level position before your new line of work meets your financial needs. The time, effort, and disruption are usually well worth it.

Doing what you want for a living feels good because you align yourself with your "higher purpose"; or personal "mission" in the world (see the section on finding your unique purpose). Because your highest purpose is typically sourced by something larger than just your personal ego needs, it has the potential to contribute to something larger than just your own life. In living your highest purpose, your life can become part of the global shift happening on the planet at this time.

How much time during the day do you spend in front of a screen? In recent years the average American household has two to three TVs, each with an average of forty to nine hundred channels. As if this were not enough, over one hundred million American households have computers offering an endless array of child and adult games as well as internet access to millions of topics and web sites. Granted, there are many good programs on TV, and the Internet is a wonderful tool for communicating information. The concern is with the sheer complexity of having so many options, all of which involve a passive stance of either witnessing entertainment or absorbing information. While life in front of the screen can be a distraction , it can also be a hindrance to rebuilding a deeper connection with nature, others, or yourself. If stress can be aggravated by too much stimulation and an experience of disconnection on multiple levels, then it would seem that spending time in front of the screen might be done in moderation. Quality time with loved ones as well as quiet time just to be present with yourself brings you into greater harmony with the rhythms of life.

There are people who feel they should answer the phone virtually every time it rings, regardless of the time of day or the mood they are in at the time. Whether it's a creditor, a sales solicitation, or a cantankerous relative, some people feel it is an almost sacred obligation to answer every call. Remember that answering the telephone—including your cell phone—is optional. Perhaps you might let your voice mail or answering machine pick up and return calls when you are ready to give your callers your full attention. If you are engaged in a project or activity that you find rewarding, there is no need to drop it to take a call that does not require your immediate attention.

The hectic pace of modern life is sometimes associated with feelings of disembodiment. This disconnection can be aggravated in situations that involve being literally disconnected from the earth, such as riding for a distance in a car, being high up in a tall building, or flying. It may also be aggravated in situations where you are bombarded with so many stimuli that your awareness is scattered or dispersed, such as a grocery store, shopping mall, or social gathering.

Taking a walk in the woods or a park is a simple act that can help reverse the tendency to feel disembodied. Being in close proximity to the earth-its sights, sounds, smells and energies-can help you to remain more easily connected with yourself. Choosing to live in such a setting, if possible, allows you to reestablish a connection with earth that much of modern civilization seems to have lost-on an ongoing basis. By spending more time close to nature, you may find you feel more reverence for the earth, and thus be more inclined to make choices about protecting it.

How many menial chores would you delegate to someone else if money were not an issue? Even delegating one activity you don't like to do can make a difference in the sense of ease you bring to your day-to-day life. If money is an issue, is there something your children could learn to do just about as well as you? Can you allow other family members to help with the cooking, yard upkeep, or housecleaning?

Delegating what you don’t have to do can open up more time to stop action and be present with yourself. Quiet, reflective time alone offers the opportunity to slow down to the speed of life, putting you in touch with deeper sources of wisdom and peace beyond your conditioned mind.

Reducing or eliminating your commute to work is one of the most significant changes you can make in simplifying your life. It doesn't take much reflection to see the extent to which negotiating rush hour traffic on a daily basis can add complexity to your life. Moving closer to where you work or choosing to live in a smaller town can help reduce your commute. At the very least, if you have to commute over a long distance, you can try to arrange for flexible hours (to avoid rush hour). At this time, nearly 15 percent of Americans work out of their homes, and the number is rising. If you can figure out a consulting service or computer-based job you can do out of your home, you can join them.

Reducing your commute not only lessens personal stress, it helps the planet by conserving energy (gasoline refined from oil) and reducing your carbon output into the atmosphere.

There are many other ways you might choose to simplify your life. For example, you can reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by writing to an organization called Stop The Mail at Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735. You can also reduce junk mail by registering with the Mail Preference Service at dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist. By calling and placing your name with the Do Not Call Registry, you can cut down on unwanted phone calls. Or you can eliminate all of your credit cards except for one or two. Having at least one card comes in handy for making telephone or Internet purchases or renting a car. Apart from that, you can save yourself a lot of monthly bills as well as annual fees by reducing your number of credit cards.