Climate change, deforestation, species extinction, population explosion, the energy crisis . . . all of these factors are leading more and more people to ask: “How can we live a more sustainable lifestyle?”
In 1992 over 1,600 of the world’s senior scientists, including a majority of the living Nobel laureates in the sciences, signed a “Warning to Humanity” in which they declared that:
“A great change in our stewardship of the earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated.”
At the same time, people are seeking deeper sources of satisfaction than those offered by a high stress, overly-competitive, consumption-obsessed world. They’re shifting away from the rat raise, forgetting about the Joneses, and leaving behind mindless accumulation; instead, they’re moving toward a life that’s rich with family, friends, and community, and looking for authentic and lasting sources of satisfaction and meaning, as well as spiritual fulfillment.
Below you will find ten snazzy ideas on simplicity to help you get off the thankless treadmill of materialism, and allow you to start moving toward the satisfaction and creativity of a simple life:
1. Jay Shafer lives in a house that is just 89 square feet. His philosophy–”Dream Big, Build Small”–is a result of his concern about the impact a larger house would have on the environment; also, he didn’t want to maintain a lot of unused or unusable space. He’s been building these small houses for over ten years and he explains that they allow its inhabitants to live a slower, simpler life.
2. Famous small houses include Thomas Jefferson’s Honeymoon Cottage–where he took his bride Martha– Henry Thoreau’s Cabin at Walden Pond, and George Bernard Shaw’s Writing Hut. During his writing years, Bernard Shaw had the wooden hut built at the bottom of the garden and mounted on a revolving mechanism so that as he worked, he could follow the sun throughout the day. The image below of his writing hut was taken from “Shedworking”:
simplicity
3. The company Simple Shoes makes eco-friendly shoes—using materials such as hemp, bamboo, and recycled bicycle tires–and was born “as a reaction to all the over-hyped, over-marketed, and over-teched sneakers out there”.
4. In the book “To Have or to Be?”
5. Add simplicity to your transportation: ride the bus or take the subway, ride your bike or walk to places that are close-by, and choose energy-efficient cars.
6. Simplicity is about being more authentic and dropping the pretense. To quote Gertrude Stein: “Let me listen to me and not to them.”
7. People who embrace simplicity live more in harmony with nature, and ecotourism is on the rise throughout the world. Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment and enhance the cultural integrity of local people.
According to the definition and principles of ecotourism established by “The International Ecotourism Society”, ecotourism is “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” Ideally, ecotourism should satisfy several criteria such as:
- Tourism to unspoiled natural areas with minimal impact on the environment. Local culture, flora, and fauna are the main attractions.
- Conservation of biological diversity and cultural diversity.
- Promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity by providing jobs to local populations.
- Sharing of socio-economic benefits with local communities and indigenous people by having their informed consent and participation in the management of ecotourism enterprises
8. Simplicity is about purging exterior clutter. Living with less brings increased financial freedom and more opportunities to find our life’s path, and it decreases the impact of our consumption on the planet.
9. Simplicity is a path of cooperation and fairness that seeks a future of mutually assured development for all. For example, VerTerra makes paper plates that can be reused up to eight times, and then you place them in your garden where they decompose and feed your plants. In addition, all of VerTerra’s products are made in south Asia, where workers are paid fair wages in accordance with international standards.
10. The quote below reflects the simplicity of getting back to basics:
“The simplicity of the typewriter is alluring to writers who may be overwhelmed (or underwhelmed) by increasingly elaborate technology. A typewriter is also appealing in its transparency — whack a key, and watch the typebar smack a letter onto a piece of paper. Try figuring that out with a laser printer. Many people also find typewriters charming ambassadors of a bygone era.”
photo credit: Nihit Goyal
Related Posts:
Recommended Reading:
- “A Tiny Home to Call Your Own”
- “Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich”
- “Inner Simplicity: 100 Ways to Regain Peace and Nourish Your Soul”
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Mare 11.03.08 at 12:27 pm
Hi everyone, I just changed the theme of my blog to Thesis over the weekend and I hadn’t realized that the comments for this post were turned off. Sorry, I guess there’s a bit of a learning curve to everything
It’s a holiday here in Panama today (Independence from Colombia), so I’m going to go sit by the pool for a bit now.
M 11.03.08 at 12:52 pm
Very nice and as always I leave pondering into deep thought after a visit here!
Lance 11.03.08 at 12:53 pm
Hey Mare - I like the new look! Very clean…
So, interesting…I got my bike back out today as we’re having some awesome fall weather here - and this might be my last chance for a while to bike to work. And I guess that fits right in with simplicity, huh! It IS simple - that’s one of the many benefits I see from biking. It’s also a really reflective time for me. I feel more in touch with both myself and with nature. And it’s good for the environment and my health! It’s a win on so many fronts! (as long as I make it home before it gets dark out tonight…).
I like the sound the the Fromm book on “To Have or To Be” - I’ll have to check that one out.
Good stuff here again today Mare.
Lances last blog post..Guest Post: What’s Your Best Effort?
Maya 11.03.08 at 12:56 pm
I love number 10. Pen and paper does wonders for my brain. Sometimes it seems like the computer is really sucking my grey matter out - the pen/paper combo does wonders at those times!
Mayas last blog post..Embracing our cultural identities at work and in life can only be good for us
Ann at One Bag Nation 11.03.08 at 1:07 pm
Hi Marelisa, Thesis looks good! Very clean and serene, perfect for your site.
I love small, cozy spaces; my daughter’s little bedroom is my favorite room in our house.
Ann at One Bag Nations last blog post..Progress Report: No Progress
Carla 11.03.08 at 4:26 pm
Since I work nine hour days at my day job plus more hours working on my business, (99% of the time on the computer) I love using pen and notepad for my journal writing. Unfortunately where I live, public transportation isn’t simple! Hopefully that will change for us soon.
Carlas last blog post..Cautious or paranoid? Finding balance with green living
Barbara Swafford 11.03.08 at 5:38 pm
Hi Marelisa - Congratulations on your new theme. It’s simply, yet classy.
This article reminded me of how simplifying for me has made a big difference in my life. I feel lighter and with less clutter everything seems airy. An added benefit is it’s easier to clean.
Like previous commenters mentioned, I also love my hand written journal and/or notes. The computer is a great tool, but there’s is a lot to be said for the simplicity of less.
Barbara Swaffords last blog post..A.S.K. Darren Rowse - Problogger - How To Become A Six Figure Blogger
Tom Volkar / Delightful Work 11.03.08 at 6:39 pm
“Simplicity is about being more authentic and dropping the pretense. To quote Gertrude Stein: “Let me listen to me and not to them.”
This is such a beautiful quote. Imagine living authentically and totally following our own path. What a wonderfully uncomplicated path that would be.
Tom Volkar / Delightful Works last blog post..Do It Your Way
Vered - MomGrind 11.03.08 at 6:40 pm
“being more authentic and dropping the pretense.” Yes, yes, YES.
That’s why I can’t stand LA. The pretense there is HUGE.
Have fun by the pool! Happy Independence Day.
Mare 11.03.08 at 6:56 pm
Hi Mark: OK, Ill take that
Hi Lance: I live in a very central part of Panama City and there’s lots of things close by (shopping center, pharmacy, supermarket, gym, my sister lives really close, and so on). I walk almost everywhere. However, that’s not customary here. I love bike riding, I’m glad you had a chance to ride your bike to work today
Hi Maya: That quote makes me think of Ernest Hemingway for some reason. And I love Bernard Shaw’s rotating hut, I need one of those
Hi Ann: I’m very happy with thesis, I feel like a kid with a new toy
I love small spaces too. When I was small I spent a lot of time under my bed reading with a flash light.
Hi Carla: I can see how you’d need a break from your computer. I have a set of colored pens and sometimes I use those to write down my ideas. Somehow the different colors make me more creative
Hi Barbara: Thank you! I’m really liking thesis, although I still need more color on my header. The more I declutter the more I wonder how I managed to live surrounded by so much stuff.
Hi Tom: Isn’t that a great quote! There’s no one better qualified to tell you what to go after and how to lead your life than you.
Hi Vered: I’m pretty sure Panama beats LA in the pretense department (there’s far less people here but they’ve elevated pretense to an art form)
Thank you, the day was absolutely beautiful. Can you believe that on the 28th we celebrate our independence from Spain? Yep, two independence days, and they’re both holidays!
Misty (MyInspirationLounge.com) 11.03.08 at 7:03 pm
First uber and then snazzy! love it!
Evelyn Lim 11.03.08 at 7:34 pm
Oh wow…a new makeover for your site over the weekend!! I love it!!
I like point #6 about dropping all pretences. More often than not, we seek to cover ourselves with more and more “clothing” so that we can look good to others. But if we can peel off all the unnecessary layers, we will begin to feel lighter and lighter, and happier and happier!
Evelyn Lims last blog post..My Out-of-Body Experiences
Kim Woodbridge 11.03.08 at 10:07 pm
Hi Marelisa - Thank you so much for commenting at my site - otherwise I wouldn’t have known what a wonderful site I was missing. Thesis looks great - I don’t, however, know what your site looked like before.
Except for my computer usage my life is pretty simple. I live in a small apartment and don’t own a car. I use public transportation or walk.
Twice in my life I’ve given away almost everything I owned. The first was when I moved across country 14 years ago and the second was when I became a vegetarian. It was so liberating being free of possessions. Since getting married, having a child and getting divorced the possessions have again accumulated. I’m slowly working on getting rid of them and making the house free of stuff again. I tackled the art supply drawer yesterday and it is wonderful to have the space organized.
Kim Woodbridges last blog post..(Anti) Social-Lists 11/2/08
Robin 11.03.08 at 11:10 pm
Ah Hah! Thesis! Good choice!
I lived by myself in a flat for many years - the bedroom and bathroom were both separate, but the rest was one good-sized room.
I loved the compactness of it (it helped that the large windows looked out onto trees and sunlight) - everything was together, and I couldn’t own too much (though I know some people who live in small places but still accumulate lots of stuff and then want to store it at their friends’ places - like our sheds - ha!)
Robins last blog post..How To Find Happiness
Mare 11.03.08 at 11:22 pm
Hi Misty: I’m a big believer in the power of adjectives
Hi Evelyn: Thank you! The more we pretend to be what others “find acceptable” the more we lose touch with ourselves and with what we really want and need.
Hi Kim: Thank you for stopping by
I’ve moved around a lot in my life, so I’ve thrown out or given away things many times. I enjoy my “stuff” but I know I’m fine without it as well. I live in a small but very comfortable apartment and I like to walk to get to where I need to go as much as I can.
Hi Robin: Darren Rowse from Problogger just started a new blog and he’s using the Thesis Theme
I want to live somewhere that kinds of “blends” in with the nature around it (right now I live in an apartment). I guess the storage business exists because people can’t get themselves to stop accumulating stuff.
Davina 11.04.08 at 2:17 am
Hi Marelisa. The first thing I noticed was your new theme. Love it! I recently purchased it too, for my new blog (not launched yet). Nice clean look.
I live pretty simply. I don’t own a car and walk when the weather is nice. I could easily live in a small home. My dream home is a cozy log cabin. Sigh…, I just had a moment there
I remember those old typewriters. I used to “play” on my mom’s when I was a little one.
Davinas last blog post..A Ghostly Life Experience
Stacey / Create a Balance 11.04.08 at 7:41 am
I live in a small space and it forces me to “think simple”. It means if something new comes into my home, something old has to leave my home.
Stacey / Create a Balances last blog post..Top Ten Signs I May Always Look Pregnant
Friar 11.04.08 at 9:26 am
I saw a recent TV ad for an Internet Service. The wife was showing the husband the advantages of wireless internet.
They showed them taking their lap-top everywhere. I kid you not. Checking email on their bus. Doing on-line banking, on a BOAT…in the middle of a LAKE!
Downloading music…at an amusement park..on TOP OF A FERRIS WHEEL.
Oh. My. God. That is just SO SAD!!!
Cant’ you stay disconnected for ten minutes….and just enjoy the outdoors?
If THIS is is how people think we’re “supposed” to live, then we’re in a lot of trouble!
This is precisely the kind of “clutter” that you mention, that we all need to rid ourselves of!
Friars last blog post..No Soup for Me!
Mare 11.04.08 at 9:50 am
Hi Davina: Thesis is great, and it’s very amenable so you can make lots of changes to it. A log cabin sounds fantastic!
Hi Stacey: One in, one out is a great rule — I try to apply it too.
Mare 11.04.08 at 9:53 am
Hi Friar: You made me think of the people who go on vacation and they see everything through the lens of the camera because they’re more interested in taking pictures to show their friends than they are of enjoying the moment.
Friar 11.04.08 at 11:31 am
@Mare
Hah! You remind me of my parents, who went to Poland for three weeks, each with a digital camera.
They came back with 3500 photos! (I estimated that on average, someone would have had to take a photo, once every 6 minutes, for 15 hours a day!)
Friars last blog post..No Soup for Me!
Melissa Donovan 11.04.08 at 2:04 pm
That little tiny house is so cool! I have to say, though, even if the size was doubled, it would still be super small. It really makes you think about how much space you have but don’t really use. Thanks for sharing these!
Melissa Donovans last blog post..The Biggest Writing Exercise in the World
Mare 11.04.08 at 5:11 pm
@Friar: It’s funny that they both went with a camera
And I’ve never heard of someone coming back from a trip with 3500 photos before!
Hi Melissa: Isn’t that just the best tiny house? I think it looks a little bit cramped but, like you say, it really makes you rethink your space.
Stacey Shipman 11.04.08 at 5:13 pm
I walk to the post office as much as I can and this morning I jogged to vote. I love living in an area where I can do that. Simple, simple, simple - I love simple. I know I don’t need all that I have now, and weekly I purge something. My rule: if it hasn’t been used or looked at in a year it goes…as much as I can I donate to charitable foundations.
Stacey Shipmans last blog post..Part II: Are You Thinking BIG Enough?
Carla 11.04.08 at 5:22 pm
Sometimes, I so wish I can live in a walkable neighborhood (besides sight-seeing and exercise) but “convenient” areas keep me up at night. We are not good sleepers unless it’s absolutely quiet. Is there a balance?
Carlas last blog post..Cautious or paranoid? Finding balance with green living
Oktober Five 11.04.08 at 5:35 pm
I love the tiny house guy! I’ve been over at his site checking out the different designs, and I’m sold. I can’t wait until I’m in a position to actually purchase land and a house.
Natural 11.04.08 at 6:54 pm
I saw a news show doing a report on the tiny house phenom and thought it was a little extreme, maybe okay for one person, like if it were just me, i would have noooo problem…all i need is an internet connection and well i do like a nice sized bed. but yeah, i think somethings are turning around in the world, people are becoming less and less concerned with the joneses and keeping up. we value our time a lot more over money.
by the pool? i’m sooo jealous.
Naturals last blog post..Finger Clicking Good’gaud That Hurts!
Bamboo Forest 11.04.08 at 7:41 pm
I love the small house idea. I’d have to actually see it in person before I declared it was too extreme for me.
It makes sense though, if you’re living alone. I would want a very usable kitchen though. I think there is an immense amount to be said for simplicity.
I often take public transportation. I happen to be a big believer in good public transportation being available. Cars are a huge financial burden. It would be nice to live in a society where they are largely unnecessary.
I would say - and this isn’t always practical, that simplicity could also be living close to where you work. It makes life a lot easier.
Bamboo Forests last blog post..The Polls Are Open: Cast Your Vote for P.I. President
Anbusivam 11.04.08 at 11:18 pm
I really love this post, as I am a very sincere evangelist of simplicity in every aspect of life. I personally got into the philosphy of leading a simple life only after reading “The Story of My Experiments with Truth” autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi. Being simple will obviously make our lives easier and more joyful than ever.
- Anbusivam
Anbusivams last blog post..Yes, I am a Valuable Person
Cath Lawson 11.05.08 at 10:39 am
Hi Mare - Isn’t Bernard Shaw’s writing room awesome. I think that setting would inspire anyone to write.
These are great ideas. When I emigrate, I hope to be able to rely on public transport and a bicycle. That will definitely determine where I choose to live. I’m not so sure I would like one of those tiny houses though - I get too cloistrophobic.
Cath Lawsons last blog post..Heroes Of Healing: Napoleon Hill
Mare 11.05.08 at 11:51 am
Hi Stacey: I think cities should be built around the concept of allowing people to have access to the places they frequent often without a lot of hassle. When I lived in Italy there were lots of tiny stores right below the building where I was staying, so I would stop to buy dinner, flowers, and a few pharmacy items before climbing the stairs up to my apartment.
Hi Carla: Now that you mention noise, I do put up with a lot of it. I need to get thicker windows installed
Hi Oktober Five: Did you notice the little house has wheels? I think that was my favorite part
Hi Natural: I think a lot of people are forgetting about making more money so that they can buy a bigger house and are focusing on having more quality experiences.
Hi Bamboo: The solution isn’t necessarily to build more roads in order to take care of traffic problems, part of the solution should be to find ways so that people don’t need to use their cars so often. Public transportation in Panama is horrendous. The buses here are overcrowded and they have races with each other–filled with passengers–and people get killed all the time. I’ve never been on a bus here in Panama, and I never will be.
Hi Anbusivam: Thank you for stopping by. A lot of ideas about simplicity come from Buddhists, Gandhi, and the Quakers.
Hi Cath: Bernard Shaw’s hut looks fabulous. And it rotates!
I want a rotating hut.
Kelly@SHE-POWER 11.06.08 at 6:35 am
“Living with less brings increased financial freedom and more opportunities to find our life’s path, and it decreases the impact of our consumption on the planet.”
I agree with this completely. I am lucky in that my husband has a successful career which he loves, and it allows us to live comfortably on one main income. My writing earnings are for holidays and extras. Does this mean we are have the latest and greatest of technology and a fancy car? No. We could definitely have more toys if I did more copywriting, but personally buying things doesn’t make me happy. I would rather be with my son and be free to write my blog, my novel and have time for my own spiritual development and inner life than have more money and more stuff. I’m not saying this is what everyone should do, but it’s right for me. Luckily my husband agrees that with the demands of his work our family benefits from this.
So many people I know say they wish they could live like me, but the funny thing is many of them actually could. If they made some lifestyle changes and stopped buying so much STUFF. But they don’t want to and that’s fine, but I don’t get the whinging about it and pretending you don’t have a choice. It’s not as if we haven’t made compromises to live this way - we don’t have a flash car, we moved further along the coast from the inner city that I loved, and sometimes big bills come in and I scramble for work. But I’m happy with our choice and I highly recommend more people try to cut back a bit and see where their life can open up.
Kelly
PS> I also prefer simple holidays - small guest houses and eating with the local workers in countries such as Thailand are much more my thing than flashy hotels in Milan. Not that Milan isn’t nice
Kelly@SHE-POWERs last blog post..New Hope and The Ship of Life
Mare 11.06.08 at 10:11 am
Hi Kelly: I think a lot of people are scared to step off the treadmill, even if they desperately want to. It takes a lot of character to say: “society defines success like this, but I define it this other way and I’m going with my definition”, which is what it sounds like you’re doing.
Patricia 11.06.08 at 5:56 pm
I enjoyed reading your post today, and I have to admit I did not notice the change of theme - slow on the up take! Ill go back and check it out!
My partner and I have belonged to a Voluntary Simplicity community for 32 years. With 5 people we only had 1 car, 4 bikes, and good shoes. My honey is an architect specializing in sustainable/energy reduction (50% reduction) building and I am always so impressed with what he does…he incorporates what is outside to bring it in or make the space continuous and not separate…in our old house he put in at least 2 windows in every room that open so we get the breezes flowing through the house to cool and then the windows are placed in such a way that they are the framed “pictures” on the wall also.
There is a great romantic feeling towards simplicity but often it can mean more and specialized work…such as closing curtains and opening windows in different patterns to allow the world to move through. You also have to work on the inner you more in simplier space as there is no place to hide!
We have a wonderful fair trade store here and our fair trade food coop. is amazing.
It is so good to take on new ideas….and always to remove the clutter in life.
Although - I do love pen and paper and journals…I think computers and my writing speed are a better match…I do journals and poems with pen…
thank you for this good and interesting piece.
Patricias last blog post..Hats off to Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Revising Committee
Mare 11.06.08 at 6:07 pm
Hi Patricia: Integrating the indoors with the outdoors sounds absolutely heavenly. And I love how you work with opening the windows to create a breeze flowing through.