SUGGESTIONS FOR SIMPLE LIVING

The following is from Scott Bessenecker's book The New Friars, it's good stuff.


Simplicity is voluntary, free, uncluttered, natural, creative, authentic, focused, margined, diligent, and healthful.

Simplicity is not easy, legalistic, proud, impoverished, ascetic, neurotic, ignorant, escapist.

RELATIONSHIP
Cultivate a closeness with God
Practice regular hospitality
Help each other, emphasise service
Always speak the truth. Develop a habit of plain, honest speech. If you consent to a task, do it. Avoid flattery and half-truths. Make honesty and integrity the distinguishing characteristics of your speech.
Don’t judge.
Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
Consciously seek to identify with the poor and forgotten - visit hospitals, prisons, nursing homes.
Schedule “simple” dates with your spouse.
Teach your children.

ACTIVITIES
Make your commitments simple.
Don’t overwork.
Fast periodically from media, food, people.
Elevate reading, go to the library.
Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. Cut down on the use of addictive, non-nutritional food and drinks such as alcohol, coffee, tea, soft drink, sugar, chocolate.
Simplify Christmas and other holidays. Develop the habit of homemade celebrations.

PACE AND ATMOSPHERE
Slow down.
Do not exhaust your emotional bank account.
Give yourself permission to be uncreative, barren, inactive.
Say no.
Restrict/eliminate television watching. Turn off or mute advertisements.
Learn to enjoy solitude.

POSSESSIONS AND FINANCES
Cultivate contentment, desire less.
Resist covetousness and consumerism.
Buy things for their usefulness, not their status.
Learn to enjoy things without owning them. Benefit from places of “common ownership” (parks, museums, libraries, rivers, public beaches).
De-accumulate. Develop the habit of giving things away.
Offer others the use of your possessions.
Develop a network of exchange.
Avoid impulse buying.
Don’t buy now, pay later.
Avoid credit cards if they are a problem.
De-emphasise respectability.
Simplify your wardrobe – give away excess.
Learn how to make do with a lower income instead of needing a higher one.

APPRECIATION
Be grateful for things large and small.
Emphasise a joyful life.
Appreciate creation.
Send cards of encouragement and appreciation when others are not expecting it.

SPIRITUAL LIFE
Make the Word central.
Meditate and memorise Scripture.
Pray.
Encourage simple worship.
Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the Kingdom of God.