Voluntary Simplicity (Part 2, Final)

Click here for Part 1.

Reading that article reminded me of my ideals. It reminded me of what I really what in life. It reminded me of the kind of life I really want to live--the kind of life that I have always wanted to live, but that has somehow slipped away from me as I got stuck in the "default" mode of day to day living.

One of the exercises in Beyond Freedom has us writing out our "ideal day" in as much specific detail as possible. They want us to really grasp it with all of our senses--what do we see, hear, feel, taste, smell?

Whenever I do this exercise, my mind goes to this place of utter simplicity--a place of appreciation--a place of nature--with just a little bit of "challenge" thrown in (to keep my mind focussed and engaged). How different that is from my reality, where everything is a challenge, and there is just a dash of simplicity, appreciation, and nature when I can squeeze it in.

How did my life get so upside down?

I realized as I was reading the article that I am not the only one who feels smothered by the "stuff" of life--the responsibilities, the toys, the memorabilia, the trinkets. The reaction of many people in the voluntary simplicity community has been to shun modern conveniences--to scale down. One story was of a woman who sold her 5 bedroom house and rented a little cottage in the woods. She now shares one bedroom with her two kids, who now share a bed.

But I don't resonate with that choice. When things are small, I feel cramped. I want things to be large and expansive, but empty--like the ceiling of my house when I was growing up.

Another thing that came out of the article was the attitude many of the people had about money. "The very things society teaches us to crave--wealth, status, prestige,--can actually lead to persistent feelings of depression and dissatisfaction. 'People who pursue intrinsic values--self-acceptance, making the world a better place, helping polar bears--are much happier than people who chase popularity, money and image,' says [author and associate professor of psychology Tim] Kasser. 'If you orient your life around personal growth and family and community, you'll feel better.'"

Then later, Terry Meer, a simple living participant, tells the author, "You don't need to have as much as you can get. People work 50 hours a week to afford all this stuff. But you end up with only an hour to spend with your kids or your wife. That's not living; it's living to work. I'd rather harvest sweet potatoes than work all day at a job I hate."

And that's when I realized--Liberty League is the best of both worlds. No wonder it resonated with me and felt so right. Liberty League provides the opportunity to make money--to become financially free and independent--by investing in the very things that bring us contentment in life: personal growth, family, and community.

All from following a stupid simple system a few hours a week.

Wow. Simplicity at its finest.

No wonder I love it here.