Simplify, simplify, simplify.
~Henry David Thoreau
Seek simplicity–and distrust it.
~Alfred North Whitehead
Living Simply
In capitalist societies the idea of a “simple life” has always been attractive. And economic tremors in capitalist societies seem to make simplicity even more alluring. These tremors expose the siren call of materialism for the chimera that it is, and simplicity becomes abundantly lovely–a life of freedom from the bondage to things and activities and desires that crush your soul.
But though it is attractive, the simple life is notoriously difficult to attain in affluent societies like ours. It requires discipline and grace, outward actions and inner changes. It is a path fraught with dangers and temptations and discouragements. But thankfully, there are many guides to help us toward the simple life. One of them is Joshua Becker, the author of the Becoming Minimalist website, which is dedicated to helping families desire, attain, and live the simple life as a family.
The Simple Family Life
Simplicity in family life is extremely attractive to American parents, particularly in a culture that assumes (demands?) that children be involved in sports and arts every moment they aren’t in school. As an educator, I encourage sports and arts and school. But as a dad, I know how easy it is to sacrifice the really important things of family life to the fierce demands of the soccer and piano schedule.
In addition to helpful articles on his blog, Joshua Becker has also written an ebook called Simplify, which both introduces the blessings of the simple family life and provides an effective strategy to attain it. Joshua begins Simplify by telling the story of his own family’s journey from the empty promises of rat-race materialism to the deep pleasures of the life of simplicity. As the story develops, Joshua lays out his “7 Guiding Principles” of the simple life, along with loads of concrete tips and suggestions. Most importantly, Joshua also includes advice about persevering in the life of simplicity, ways of keeping the sirens of materialism at bay.
Beginning Simply
The simple life begins first with a desire to live simply. Then comes reading and study. Joshua Becker’s Simplify can be purchased here for $9.95. Though you may not be used to purchasing ebooks, I heartily recommend this one to you–especially if the idea of the simple life is new to you. In Joshua’s words,
“There is a life of simplicity that is calling out to you. It is inviting you to live the life you were born to live, not the life your neighbor is trying to achieve. It is inviting you to value the things that you want to value, not the values of billboards and advertisements. It is inviting you to remove the distractions in your life that are keeping you from truly living. And it’s been here the whole time…” (76).
For those of you who have already begun the pursuit of simplicity in your own family, you still might want to check out the numerous helpful ideas and practical tips in Simplify. Once you’ve read Joshua’s book, I then recommend going on to Richard Foster’s Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World. Foster goes into great detail about the spiritual, theological, and practical aspects of pursuing simplicity as a Christian discipline.
Simplicity in family life will be an ongoing theme on the Manly Dad blog, and I’ll be drawing a lot from Becker’s and Foster’s books. Watch for these future articles, but don’t wait until then to begin pursuing the simple life for you family. Buy a book and start today.
If you found this article helpful, leave a comment or share it with someone. Thank you, my friend.
I’m curious how you apply these ideas to your personal library.
Cody, here are a couple applications. I periodically cull books from my shelves that I no longer want or plan to use. I make sure that the books I buy have value that goes beyond a single reading. I grow my library with the goal of passing it on to my kids and grandkids.
It’s important to note that simplicity and materialism aren’t about how much stuff you have, but your attitude toward that stuff. A poor man can be a rank materialist and a rich man can live the simple life. For me books are items that carry far more value than just entertainment–a father’s library communicates his way of living and thinking to his children. That is of utmost importance to me, so I prioritize books over other material goods.
Thanks. I live with a certain someone who seems to get stuck on the culling step. We’ll start focusing there.