A Simple Guide To Simple Living

I keep tripping over this whole Living Simple movement, and I thought a book on the topic might make for a good next read.

While researching books to take out from the library^* I came across this wonderful comment by EternalSeeker:

Simplify, simplify! I am afraid as an old practitioner of voluntary simplicity I was confused and depressed by this book, which seems to offer very little in the way of true simplification and much in the way of things-I-didn't-know-I-should-be-worrying-about.

She then goes on to define Simplicity:

• Get rid of anything you haven't used within the past year.
• Pay off your credit cards and just keep one or two for real emergencies.
• Be monogamous.
• Give your time instead of money to those you love.
• Turn off the TV.
• Think about how to live with only half of the possessions you have and then DO IT.
• Eat fresh, simple, whole [organic] foods. Drink water.
• Create a garden and spend time in it (instead of watching TV).
• Let other people worry about "getting ahead", status trips, newer cars and bigger houses, trendy clothing.
• Read: How To Make Your House Do The Housework.
• Read 'Walden' By Henry David Thoreau - often

What a wonderfully concise list! I think I'll skip the book, find a blog or two and just mull over the above list.

Simple enough, eh?

^*I'm definitely amused by the irony of convincing people to buy a book on how to live with fewer possessions in their life. The library is a nice fix to avoid this silliness.

Update: I forgot to mention -- even the music I was listening to last night was encouraging the Simple Living philosophy.