Living Simply by Simply Loving
Does clutter overwhelm you?
Do you carry more debt than comfortable?
Do you overcommit to projects you’re not passionate about?
Do you make choices that aren’t aligned with your true desires?
It’s common, especially if you’ve shaped your life according to social expectations. The results are often a sense of emptiness and attempts to fill that void.
Once you’ve understood why we clutter our lives, it becomes easier to simplify – to identify what is truly important to you and let go of the rest. That’s living simply.
My Story
People have been asking me about simplifying since the early 90s. I’d left my “dream job” with the government to teach English in Czechoslovakia (a shock to some). When I returned a year later, I realized I’d spent more on storage than my salary overseas. Still, I didn’t regret my decision!
After that, each time I followed my spirit calls (10 cities in 4 countries), I de-cluttered even more.
I wouldn’t have been able to afford living my life’s purpose debt free otherwise.
Lightening the load in all areas of life, however, does a lot more than reduce the number of boxes that need storing or shipping. It reduced the weight of old energies tied to old ways of being and doing.
This is not about lack, however. In fact, my life is rich! After studying art in Austria, Bali and Italy for a year, I returned to the island of Newfoundland, Canada in 2014 to devote myself full-time to developing my art and intuitive business.
Clutter as a Form of Imitation Love
About 5 years ago, I became conscious of the link between simple living and unconditional love.
Listening to Dr. Greg Baer’s audiobooks and videos on Real Love, I understood how we compulsively try to fill our emptiness with whatever feels good in the moment—money, anger, sex, alcohol, food, violence, power, conditional love, approval of others, and more.
“Although the effects are superficial and temporary, we still pursue Imitation Love because it gives us a sense of “happiness” that feels far better than nothing in the absence of Real Love”
Do any of these substitutes look familiar?
- excessive shopping for shoes or gadgets you’ll rarely use;
- buying rounds of drinks even if it puts you in debt;
- buying a new car to keep up with the Joneses;
- accepting to chair a committee, not because you like the cause, but because it will give you social status;
- saying yes to every invitation or request even if you’d rather stay home and read a good book;
- getting angry at those around you because it makes them do what you want;
- measuring your self-esteem by the number of Likes on Facebook;
- complaining to friends to get sympathy;
- hanging on to gifts you don’t like, just so you can display them when the giver visits;
- lying to give a good impression;
- or, in my case, diving into excessive chips and movies (I did say I’m still a work in progress…).
There’s nothing wrong with praise, power, safety, and pleasure – only when they’re used unlovingly.
Dr. Baer provides highly practical advice on becoming more unconditionally loving and loved. As you become so, the confusion and clutter will gradually disappear from your life.
Two Steps to Simplifying
Good news! De-cluttering doesn’t have to wait until you are perfectly loving.
The Universe abhors a vacuum! So when you de-clutter any aspect of your life (space, time, finances, relationships, etc.), it will naturally fill the void with what is in alignment with your Highest Good, especially if you’ve set that intent.
How do you do this?
First, you identify what’s important to you.
Then, let go of everything else.
I’m not talking about reneging responsibilities or rejecting society. I’m talking about finding creative ways to live in line with your heart and your purpose.
- What’s Important to You:Find clarity on what you really want. Fifteen years ago, the book “What Matters Most” really helped me to identify my governing values and develop a personal mission statement.Once I’d verbalized that “my purpose is to travel through life exploring and expressing my love of beauty and the beauty of love”, I had a measuring stick for all future choices.
This in turn has led to my living a life of greater intention, integrity, and success (my own definition of it).
- Let Go:Once you know what you really want, it becomes easier to release the rest.
This will look so very different for everyone.
Living simply is about living true to your purpose, whatever that is.
How? You can use certain de-cluttering “rules” to get rid of physical stuff.You can use resources like “Your Money or Your Life” to transform your relationship with money and start living with financial integrity, intelligence, and independence.
You can start saying “yes” to some things and “no thank you” to others.
Last, you can increase the amount of unconditional love in your life – the true source of all happiness and the best de-clutterer of all.
Is It Worth It?
The more I’ve exercised non-attachment, the more I’ve created room for the Universe to fill with new experiences and abundance that’s more aligned with who I am and what I need for each new chapter of my life.
My path is even richer now that I’ve realized the strong link between love and simplifying.
As I continue my journey of exploring and expressing the beauty of love (for myself and others), I can vouch that it takes care of much of the clutter caused by the pursuit of imitation love.
What can you do to start simplifying today?
You can start small with some of the dozens of suggestions from online lists, or delve deeper into what drives your soul.
You and those around you deserve a simpler life. It truly is a loving thing to do.
I’d love to hear what action steps you’d like to take this month. Please share in the comments below.
