Note: I am not the original author of this text. It was originally posted to Reddit by /u/catnaphead, who is no longer active on the site. I am reposting it here for archival purposes.
Sure, you can move to a cheaper place, an off-grid cabin or you can move another country. You can live in a rental or a van on the road, or a small house in a backyard.
But at the end of the day, every move you make isn’t going to give you a simple life unless you can create one right now for yourself. You still need to find food, most of us still need jobs (though maybe not as stressful), and all of us need a safe place to live. You need to learn how to navigate what you have now, in a simple way.
I think many of us overlook the fact that you can create a simple life for yourself wherever you live, right now. Moving can solve a few problems (the cost of property sometimes), but thinking that moving will solve everything and create that simple life is wrong. You can get it. It’s right in front of you. No moving required. Start where you are. With social media it’s all too easy to think that moving to Bali, or living in a tiny house or ran will fix everything. It won’t. There’s just different work involved, different complications. Nothing is a given.
Part of simplicity is using what you have right in front of you. Live in a condo with too much stuff, downsize your stuff. Stressed from your job, get a less stressful job. Finding you lack human connection, find new friends. It’s doable.
And to quote /u/anachronic: “Simple living is a state of mind, not a zip code.”
You cannot run from yourself.
@Charliebeans
But you can try!In seriousness, sometimes you have to run away from people or situations to simplify. There are ways to do that without relocating, but sometimes it’s easiest to put some mileage between you and it/them.
@inasabaDefinitely, there are situation where you physically need to remove yourself from.
This reminds me of a quote, I read in the context of stoicism once, which was along the lines of: “The best place to practice your philosophy is where you are” and I agree fully with that and the post above. Sometimes moving can be sensible and necessary but I think we might have turned the aim for simplicity into an unhealthy sport sometimes.
Great post and reminder! I find myself sometimes tempted by the trap of seeking simple living/minimalism/environmentalism/general earthiness by doing silly things that aren’t practical. Like just the other day I was thinking about getting rid of my awesome Braun razor ive had and loved for years and buying a simple safety razor instead to simply my life more. How silly. There are certainly times when there are actions needed to be taken to align our lives with simple living ideals, but sometimes we can feel a need to continue to search for changes to be made and it becomes a never-ending pursuit. Sometimes the only real change needed is our perspective!!! Just give yourself permission to let life be simple with just how it is.
I wish more people understood that rural life is really freaking hard, especially if you don’t already have connections.
