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Page 12 of 13 Linda Breen Pierce has written two major books on living more simply: Simplicity Lessons (Gallagher Press, 2003) and Choosing Simplicity (Gallagher Press, 2000). Linda lived the so-called American dream. She earned a six-figure income as an attorney, wore expensive silk suits, and spent her vacations at lavish resorts. But after practicing law for 10 years, she realized that the price tag for this lifestyle was too high. The long hours and the stress inherent in her work left her little time and energy to enjoy other areas of her life. Starting in 1991, Linda and her husband, Jim, proceeded to simplify their lives. They moved from Los Angeles to the Monterey Peninsula in central California. They "downsized" their standard of living and enhanced their quality of life by working less, wanting less, needing less, and spending less. Linda and Jim now enjoy life much more than in their previous lifestyle of high-pressure work in the city. Linda works only part-time as an attorney and consultant, leaving plenty of time to engage in her passions of hiking and foreign travel. Linda and Jim are not Christians that I know of, much less evangelical Christians. I say this because of their focus on themselves. But if two non-believers can learn and do this, why can’t believers? Most believers do not say, "I can take care of myself and I don’t need to depend on God," rather we say, "Yes, of course, I am depending on the Lord." But in reality, we are depending on our guaranteed salary, retirement, life insurance, etc., so that if God should go on a vacation, we would never miss Him. Listen to what Pierce has to say in her article, "Recipe for Simplicity" (2000). Again, I do not necessarily agree with everything she says, but it is always interesting what non-believers have to say about a simple lifestyle, and how they link it with spirituality. My comments are in brackets: "Simplify, Simplify..." More than a century after Henry David Thoreau uttered these words, his plea for simplicity has more significance now than ever before. We work hard and play hard, filling nearly every moment with activity. Most families believe they need two incomes to pay for a standard of living that has doubled in the last 50 years. But do we? Based on my three-year study of over 200 people who have simplified their lives, I found that we can work less, want less, and spend less, and be happier and more fulfilled in the process. Here are ten suggestions to simplify your life. Don't try to simplify your life in a few weeks or months; most people need an initial period of three to five years to complete this transition. Small, gradual steps are best.
1. Don't let any material thing come into your home unless you absolutely love it and want to keep it until it is beyond repair. Too much stuff - it's suffocating us. Pur-chasing, maintaining, insuring, storing and eventually disposing of our stuff sucks up our precious life energy. [Don’t let any material thing come between you and God.]
2. Live in a home with only those rooms that you or someone in your family use every day. Create a cozy home environment that fits your family. You will find this is much more satisfying than living in a museum designed to impress your friends. Spending time and money to maintain a home that is larger than you truly need diverts these resources from more fulfilling endeavors.
3. Limit your work (outside of the home) to 30 hours a week, 20 if you are a parent. To live a balanced life, we need "down" time - time to daydream, to relax, to prepare a leisurely meal, to take a walk. If we surround our structured activities with empty spaces, those activities will become more productive and meaningful.
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