How to simplify your life right now
Do you remember the simple things of childhood—after school games of hide-and-seek, kick the can, or swimming in the old swimming hole?OR, as you grew older, you'd grab a hamburger after school and walk over to a friend's house to study before going to the Friday night game?I don't remember ever having a conversation on how to simplify your life when I was growing up.No one had a cell phone. A chat was face to face or over a telephone mounted on the wall and shared with the other members of your family.No one had internet.We didn't know we needed it.Life was different than it is now. Not necessarily better, just different.Life wasn't slower.But it wasn't as filled with as much activity and "stuff" as our lives today hold.
Yet some things remain the same...
... you need time to breathe. To take in the quiet. To learn to be with yourself.... to think thoughts and follow them through to godly conclusions.... to read a book, climb a hill, laugh with babies.... you need food, shelter, clothes, and people that love you.
But do you really need...
... the last thing you bought?... to scroll through Facebook or Instagram as much as you do?... all that stuff in your closet that hasn't seen the light of day in over a year?... Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and cable TV?
And do you really have to...
... be involved in so many activities?... be the go-to fix-it person for those with problems?... babysit the grandkids constantly?... eat out so much?
What would happen if...
... you stopped the doing and the buying and the using, at least for a while?... did an internet fast for a month?... read a book instead of watched TV?... took an extra hour to sit and muse with the Lord every day?
Did you know that it's OK to...
... let your kids solve their own problems?... say "no" to the next person who asks you to volunteer for something?... say "yes" to go for a walk by yourself in the woods?... let others help you?
What do you think?
Do you need to simplify your life a little bit?Ask the hard questions?Make some changes?
Here's the kicker to simplify your life...
What would your life look and feel like if you made those changes?Being able to answer that last question will make answering ALL the other questions very easy.My heart told me you needed this today. (Probably because I need to simplify my life, and I don't like making changes by myself.)Hugs,SusanFor more on making your life more simple, read:How to Simplify Your Life