How are Simplicity and Inner Peace related?
As I began to take simplifying my life seriously due to a sense of being out of control and overwhelmed, I began to declutter and simplify my life in major swipes. Nothing was safe from my purging. But somehow, while things got simpler on the outside, I was conscious that my brain was not simplifying. Oh, that I could go into my brain with a trash can and start pitching! At about this time, I ran across a book called Inner Peace for Busy People
What I began to see is that as I gained more inner calm, my outside life didn’t seem as complicated and overwhelming. As I simplified things outside, I grew calmer inside. I began to believe that the two concepts were closely intertwined, and that one would lead to another.
Some Examples of the Relation Between Inner Peace and Simplification
To illustrate, here are some examples of the relation in my own life:
- A relationship with a friend was getting overwhelming in her demands. I spent quite a bit of time wrapped up in her crises due to constant phone calls and instant messages. As part of my simplification routine, I looked closely at all my relationships to find the ones that were not nurturing, and to either transform or jettison them. This relationship ended up being jettisoned. As soon as I had made the decision, my life became calmer.
- One of the items in the Inner Peace book was to put aside time for a rest, or sabbath (using the terms of the book). Since I work on computers all week, I decided to take a day when I would not use my cell phone, computer or PDA. I would focus on my family and on non-technology hobbies. After a few weeks of this practice, I realized that I was no longer wrapped up in being “on” all the time, and I was much more rested. It had simplified my weekends.
- One of my practices in simplification is to get rid of anything I don’t use or love. Since I had many possessions that reminded me of not-so-happy times in my life, and things given to me by family members who felt I should hang on to things because they belonged to “great-auntie-so-and-so”, but that I hated the sight of, I began to purge. I found that my life became simpler because I no longer had to care for these items; it became more more peaceful because the mental baggage that would come to the forefront every time I saw these things now had their source removed.
Summary
These are just a few examples of the things I have found while practicing both simplicity and inner peace. I am sure you will find examples, too, in your own journeys.
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