Voluntary Simplicity:
A Philosophy For Sustainable Living

by Ada Porat, M.A. , C.L.C.

“Bigger, better, more!” seems to be the mantra of western consumerism. Advertising and marketing bombard consumers with message designed to stir up the desire for the latest gadgets, fashions and cars.

However, in cities, towns and villages across the continent, a new movement is quietly underway.

This quiet revolution is based on doing more with less, on moving away from empty consumerism in order to address the soul’s cry for meaning. This movement, which is known as voluntary simplicity, evolved from the desire among growing numbers of people to focus less on material consumerism in order to have more time for meaningful engagement in all areas of life.

At the forefront of this movement are those individuals that authors Paul Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson have described as cultural creatives, numbering over 50 million individuals in the US alone, and rapidly increasing.

These individuals live by distinct core values which include a commitment to authenticity (wanting their actions to be consistent with their values and beliefs), wholeness, integration, and community. They also care deeply about the environment.

Cultural creatives are responding to the daunting challenges of the 21st century – how to sustain life on the planet and addressing the overwhelming spiritual and psychological emptiness of modern life – by returning to basics.

By finding meaningful ways to care for the environment and earth’s natural resources, these individuals are leading the way back to living in harmony with core human values. They choose to live simpler lifestyles, thereby freeing up valuable resources for others on the planet to simply live.

The desire for meaningful simplicity is not new. Most faith traditions extol simplicity as a way to spiritual enlightenment. In Catholicism, austere simplicity was long revered as a way to keep one’s focus on the inner life. Buddhism stresses the relationship between external simplicity and internal insight. And in Judaism some rabbis, concerned about the desire of congregants to "keep up with the Goldbergs," refuse to officiate at weddings deemed overly lavish.

People who make a choice to step off the consumer treadmill chasing after more, better, or bigger, find that it is possible to enjoy peace, fulfillment and serenity with less. Individuals who choose voluntary simplicity discover that life can become more serene when there are fewer things taking up one’s time and energy. They find their spiritual life enhanced because there’s more time to do things they love to do, making them feel spiritually fulfilled.

Yet voluntary simplicity is more than a consumer choice or a religious belief. It is part of a global awareness that earth is buckling under multiple stressors – most of them man-made. There is a growing realization that if we want to survive on this planet, it is time to look beyond basic self-interest and recognize that the actions we take locally have global implications.

What Is Voluntary Simplicity?

Voluntary simplicity can be described as a philosophy that recognizes the interconnectedness of all life on the planet, and chooses to respond in an inclusive manner. Sometimes called compassionate living, it is a conscious choice to simplify your life so that the resources freed up by your choices, can allow other human beings to simply live.

In his visionary book “Global Shift,” author Edmund J. Bourne describes voluntary simplicity as part of an emerging global shift in consciousness. He describes it as a movement away from the old materialistic norms to a humanitarian-spiritual orientation toward life.

Voluntary simplicity is part of a global shift toward values that regard greater self-awareness, spiritual growth and a sense of responsibility to the environment as equally important to – if not more so than - economic success and consumption.

It means doing, having and living more with less. Voluntary simplicity involves consciously choosing what you allow into your life in order to align with the shifts in global consciousness – the new values and actions – that are needed on the planet to ensure a future for everyone.

Simplifying your life does not mean living in poverty. Poverty is involuntary and disabling; whereas choosing to live simply is voluntary and empowering. Simplicity requires finding the right balance between austerity and excess.

Living simply is a powerful way to align your life with your core values and to minimize needless distractions. It establishes a clear and direct relationship with all aspects of your life. Simplifying your life can help you reclaim time to harmonize your inner being with the meaningful aspects of your life.

During the current economic cycle of contraction, thousands of people are discovering that happiness and fulfillment do not come from having more money, bigger things or better houses, but rather in time spent with loved ones and being connected with community. In fact, charitable organizations are reporting that volunteer participation has soared to record highs during the past year. Around the world, people are redefining the meaning of success, fulfillment and normalcy.

Voluntary simplicity questions American society’s definition of "normal," identified by columnist Ellen Goodman as " …getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to the job that you need so you can pay for the clothes, car, and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it!"

Benefits To Individuals And Society

The old model of excessive consumption is clearly unsustainable. There are lots of reasons why voluntary simplicity offers a more sustainable basis for the long-term survival of our world.

Earth’s population has quadrupled from 1.5 billion to over 6 billion people in the twentieth century, and is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. Almost all of this growth is expected to occur in developing countries affected by severe poverty, disease, and diminished availability of food, water, and other basic resources.

According to Michael Renner, author of “State of the World 2005: Redefining Global Security,” 2005 estimates indicate that by 2015 as many as 3 billion people will be living in water-stressed areas, subject to limited availability of water for drinking or agriculture. That is half the world’s population!

North Americans use 30 to 60 times the amount of the Earth's resources as people in countries such as India, and are responsible for 25% of the world’s carbon emissions. It is clearly unsustainable for us to continue the current rates of consumption.

Living in voluntary simplicity offers benefits that extend far beyond the individual to significantly impact society and the planet. Some of these benefits include:

• Reduced pollution from emissions, less traffic congestion, fewer accidents and less wear on roads. • Reduced environmental impact from resource extraction and manufacturing. • Reduced need for basic energy resources such as electricity and water, resulting in less reliance on power plants and water treatment facilities. • More community cohesiveness, responsibility and involvement; resulting in less crime, improved neighborhood relations, safer streets and better schools. • Strengthened grassroots democracy as people take an active role in how their communities operate. • Ecological restoration taking place as people rediscover and participate in the protection of their natural environment. • A flowering of local culture again – including music, storytelling, drama, games, and poetry.

How Far Should You Go?

No precise formula defines what constitutes living simply. For some people, getting rid of their car is an easy decision because they have access to alternate forms of transportation; for others, it is not a viable option. Decisions around voluntary simplicity should ultimately flow from a personal review of your own values, desires, needs and circumstances. It needs to flow from a choice to let go, not from a place of sacrifice.

When we surrender something from a place of self-sacrifice, we actually act out of denial, not from inner conviction. The remaining attachment to the thing denied, will ultimately resurface again in our lives in some other form.

Gandhi had an interesting perspective on the process of denial versus true surrender: “As long as you derive inner help and comfort from anything, you should keep it. If you were to give it up in a mood of self-sacrifice… you would continue to want it back, and that unsatisfied want would make trouble for you.”

The decision to let go of certain things is very personal and should be preceded by a conscious choice to let go of those things in order to make space for something more appropriate in your life.

What you Can Do To Transform Your Home, Mind & Spirit

Practical principles can help you choose what you are ready to let go of in your life to free up more time, space, energy and resources for the things that are truly meaningful to you. Here are some guidelines to start the process toward more voluntary simplicity:

1. Purge Pull everything from a shelf or drawer and only put back what you will actually use.

2. Plan Ask yourself when you last used/wore an item and what the likelihood is of using it in the next year. If not, purge it!

3. Simplify The things you hold onto "just in case" could be put to good use by someone else right now, so let it go and keep the energy flowing. 4. Be Generous The things you are finished with can bring new options to others. Donate to charities and thrift stores, or sell redundant items on EBay.

5. Organize Don't go out and buy lots of containers to organize your stuff – minimize your stuff instead. With fewer possessions, organization is much easier.

6. 10-Minute Toss Spend just 10 minutes a day sorting and tossing, or get rid of 10 items each day. It adds up quickly.

7. Underschedule Unclutter you appointment book to slow down your hectic pace. Place a limit on your daily appointments, phone calls or meetings… then schedule free time to enjoy your simplified life.

8. Live in the Present Most excess spending focuses on wants instead of needs; or is an attempt to make ourselves feel better. Recognize the core motivation and address it appropriately without resorting to retail therapy.

9. Finish What You Start Project piles indicate the need to complete one project from start to finish before taking on another.

10. Choose Meaningful Activities Do you really need to have your life crammed with social activities that do not nurture you? Eliminate redundant activities from your environment to make space for what nurtures your soul.

Moving against the current of consumerism can be challenging. Fortunately, voluntary simplicity study circles and support groups are popping up all over. To get started, check churches or religious institutions in your area for resources, or visit the Simple Living Network online (www.slnet.com).

Ada Porat is an energy kinesiologist, vibrational healer and life balance coach with extensive international teaching and clinical experience. She has lived and worked extensively throughout the United States, Africa and the Middle East. Ada now makes her home in Arizona, where she founded Stillpoint Holistic Services, a integrative clinic that uses body/mind/spirit techniques to help clients create inner and outer harmony in their lives. She also conducts media interviews and teaches workshops on personal/spiritual growth, life balance and holistic living. For more information or to subscribe to Soul Food, a free monthly newsletter with bytes of inspiration, visit http://www.AdaPorat.com