Embracing Simplicity

We are the generation of more…more money, more electronics, more clothing, more productivity, more eating out, more travel, more information, bigger houses, bigger apartments, and bigger storage units.

From information to goods and services, consume culture is happening all over the world.

Why You Should Embrace A Life Of Simplicity

What has this culture of more gotten us? More depression, more anxiety, more stress, more chronic diseases, more money spent on healthcare, more busyness, less meaningful social connection, less contentment, and less time for family and friends. The statistics on consumption in the United States alone are startling.

The U.S. now has 2.3 billion square feet of self-storage space. The self storage association states that, with more than seven square feet for every U.S. citizen, it’s now “physically possible that every American could stand – all at the same time – under the total canopy of self-storage roofing.”
The average amount of time spent on social media is 3 hours per day.
Americans spend $37 trillion dollars per year on chronic disease related healthcare amounting to approximately $6,000 per person.

History Of Advertising

We are bombarded by anywhere from 4,000-10,000 ads all day long that tell us we will be happier if we buy something, travel more, and experience more. Whether we realize it or not, this advertising has a powerful grip on us. Did you know our modern advertising framework came out of Germany and World War II propaganda?

During WWII, the United States increased factory and manufacturing capabilities to provide supplies for the war. After the war was over, we were left with vast manufacturing capabilities yet very few goods being consumed. Business leaders in the United States turned to the tactics used by Nazi politician Joseph Goebbels who said this about advertising, “The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never again escape from it.” Sound anything like the framework of modern advertising?

Our information is constantly being sold. We often like to think of our phone as useful tool. However, the phone is not working for you but rather it is working for multi-billion dollar tech organizations. You’re not the customer in this situation but the product. Your attention is for sale. The more attention you give to your phones and advertising, the more you are being robbed of your health, happiness, and a meaningful life.

Living Simply: Take Your Time Back

What if the stories we are told by commercials, billboards, and social media aren’t true? What if all the buying, business, and experiences is actually making us less happy and healthy rather than more? This is exactly what I am proposing. There is another way to live that looks drastically different from that of our modern culture. That life is one of simplicity.

While living simply may seem limiting, it actually provides great freedom. The freedom for ideas and creativity. Freedom to spend time with family, friends, and loved ones. Freedom of time to commit to eating well, going outside, and taking care of your body and mind.

Simplicity is a buzz word today, but what exactly does it mean? Simplicity is extracting the extra from your life that does not produce fruit. Maybe that means removing actual physical items from your house such as books, games, and gadgets. Maybe it is decreasing the amount of activities that are crammed into our evenings and weekends. Or maybe it’s letting go of that second job that, if we’re being honest, we really only have so that we can afford to buy more things and pay for more experiences.

So how can you get started with the simple life? I have written out 5 easy steps to help get you going. They can be downloaded at the link below.