Steve Jobs. Bill Gates. Gandhi. Paramahansa Yogananda. Einstein. The Dalai Lama.
What do all these people have in common?
Simplicity.
Believe it or not, you’ll notice many of these powerful people are the most simplistic.
They own very few frivolous ‘things’ and usually don’t bother with distractions.
Their minds are focused and strong, and it almost seems like they have a supernatural ability to create anything they want in their life.
So how do you get this ability?
Easy. You follow their example.
Here are five reasons you’ll be a happier person once you’ve adopted a simpler lifestyle.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” -Leonardo Da Vinci
1) Noise & Clutter
When it comes to simplifying, one of the best things you can do for both the body and the mind is to clear your world of as much clutter and noise as possible!
‘Things’ often start to build up in certain areas of our life, be it in our house or in our mind; and it begins to clutter when we don’t take the time to clear them out.
This makes our life much harder than it should be.
Work on organizing your time and space in a way that removes distractions.
This will go a long way to helping you feel grounded.
2) Knowing the difference between needs and wants
The cornerstone of simple living is recognizing the difference between wanting something and needing something.
What are our true needs versus what society tells us we should want?
It’s easy to differentiate between the two when you think about it, but how often do you actually do it?
Most of the time we don’t because we don’t want to; because we’re too invested in consumerism and mass media (hey, myself included!).
When you start to realize just how much of your life is influenced by society and culture, you start to view it from the outside.
Having this clarity is ultimately freeing, and the lifeblood of living simply.
3) An authentic life
When you realize what is relevant and necessary, you also start to understand more about who you are.
We all want to live authentic lives, it’s inherent within every human.
That’s because we want what’s best for ourselves.
But a lot of us lose our authenticity when we start living a certain way or doing certain things because of what others want.
Living authentically happens when you lose the fear of judgment and disapproval by your peers.
It means you’re living passionately and with purpose.
Isn’t that what life is all about?
4) Recognizing your motivations and who you are
Pretty much everyone wants to find a purpose in life, and while it might not always stem from the simplification of life, a lot of the time it does.
Living simply allows us to gain a better understanding of the person we are and what motivates us, which in turn can tell us what our purpose in life is.
5) Time management
Time management has always been an issue for me, as I’m often late…for basically everything.
But when you start living a simpler life, time management starts to become a non-issue because you’ve rid your life of all of the things that ultimately serve no purpose.
When all of the things that come attached to a modern lifestyle, like chores and social pressures, expectations and activities, suddenly disappear, managing your time becomes easier and life becomes even more simple and you gain even greater clarity.
