Category: Simple Living
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Sit on a Pumpkin
Thoreau would rather have a plain seat to himself than a fancy one in a crowd. Here’s a one-week way to find the pumpkin version of your own life.
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The Gift to Be Simple
A Shaker song from 1848 calls simplicity a gift and promises “the place just right.” Here’s how to make one small spot in your home feel that way this week.
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A Nobler Art of Leaving Things Undone
“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone.” Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living (1937). One concrete way to practice leaving the nonessential undone this week.
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Subtract the Obvious, Add the Meaningful
“Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.” John Maeda, The Laws of Simplicity John Maeda makes simplicity sound like editing, not deprivation. You remove what is loud and obvious, then you protect what actually matters. That is a useful way to think when life feels crowded for no good reason. The obvious…
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Restraint for Greater Abundance
“A partial restraint in some directions in order to secure greater abundance of life in other directions.” Richard B. Gregg, Voluntary Simplicity Gregg wrote that line in 1936, long before tiny houses and decluttering challenges had hashtags. He was naming something quieter than a purge. Simplicity, for him, was not a costume of poverty. It…
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When Nothing Is Lacking
“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching Most of us chase the next thing before we finish noticing what we already have. A better couch. A newer phone. A kitchen upgrade that…
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20 Simplicity Quotes to Clear the Noise and Live Lighter
20 simplicity quotes from Thoreau, Hans Hofmann, Bruce Lee, Chanel, and more — short lines to clear the noise and live lighter.
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A Few Shells Are More Beautiful
Anne Morrow Lindbergh on why a few beautiful shells beat collecting the whole beach, and one simple way to practice enough this week.
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Outwardly More Simple, Inwardly More Rich
Duane Elgin on voluntary simplicity: clear the outer noise so the inner life has room to breathe. One concrete swap to try this week.
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There Are Two Ways to Get Enough
“There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.” G.K. Chesterton Chesterton’s line is almost too plain to argue with. One path piles stuff, upgrades, and “just one more” until the day finally feels full. The other path shrinks the appetite so…
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Identify the Essential. Eliminate the Rest.
“Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identify the essential. Eliminate the rest.” Leo Babauta, The Power of Less Leo Babauta built a whole practice around that sentence. Not a vibe. Not a mood board. Two moves: name what matters, then cut what doesn’t. Most of us skip step one. We tidy drawers, unsubscribe from newsletters,…
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There Are Many Things We Feel We Should Do That We Don’t Have To
Elaine St. James on the shoulds that are optional, and one yes to cancel this week.