Simplicity

Simplicity isn't simple to achieve in my experience. Life gets complicated in this modern materialistic world, where we depend more and more on the hard labor of others to provide us with basic needs. We don't generally grow our own food. Many of us can't drive a nail or hang a curtain rod. Others of us are so busy trying to obtain by working day and night that they have no time to drive a nail or sew a seam. We are bombarded by images and words that try to seduce us into making our lives more and more complicated by debt and unsatisfying labor to maintain the standard of living of celebrities. My first step to simplifying my life is to abstain from buying things, except necessities such as food and basic clothing. This forces me to maintain what I have and discard those things which are unnecessary when they are no longer useful or reparable. Simplicity in my practice starts by living with less. I have found that starting on the quest for simplicity has helped me to simplify many aspects of my life. It has also helped me to be less prone to try to control what is outside my control. Simplicity, in other words, is a process, not a goal.