My last blog post was getting a wee bit long, so I split it up into 2 parts. If you missed it, you can read Part 1 here.
In that post, we looked at the ideas of balance and simple living and how the idealized “Pinterest” version we often think is a myth. This week let’s look at what works.
Identifying what simple looks like to you
Stop Comparing: My story differs from yours
My sister has a hubby, 8 kids, 3 grands, and 2 dogs. She recently founded a children’s choir ministry. Then there’s the local youth theatre where her two youngest are cast members, still a couple of kiddos to homeschool and like most of our immediate family, some not-always-so fun health issues to work through.
Then there’s me. I have my business to run and client work to do. With that business comes my roles as a writer, marketer, and photographer in my business. My kiddos are furry and four-footed. I have my Mom who has ever-increasing caregiving needs that include lots of trips to the doctor and managing her care. I too have my lovely list of health issues I’m working through.
When my sister and I talk, simple is relative. What sounds simple to me sounds complicated to her and vice versa. Simple means something different to each of us.
Stop Comparing: What I see in my social media feeds is a snapshot and rarely the complete picture
These brief glimpses into people’s lives are only that, glimpses. Rarely do you get the full picture of everything behind the scenes of what happens in their business, home, or life. Again, their version of simple will differ from mine. And it should be. It needs to be.
Here’s the quote again:
“Eat less, move more. Buy less, make more. Stress less, laugh more. Feel blessed, love more. Find a quiet place each day and breathe.” (source
Here is what comes to mind when I read that quote.
Eat Less, Move More:
Time to get out from behind my computer more often than I do, and change my perspective. (Does anyone else think “O captain! My captain! When you read that??)
How often do we reach for food for comfort and distraction instead of getting up and moving around?
What if instead we get outside for a walk, pulled out a crafting project, go explore a local spot that we haven’t been to in a long time, go for a hike, or head out to the porch to read a book?
Buy Less, Make More:
What can I do to become more of a producer instead of a consumer?
We get so caught up in research mode, taking classes, or reading books, that we never get past consuming information, but never implement and do something with what we have learned. That needs to change.
Stress Less, Laugh More:
This one can be a hard one, no matter who you are and what your situation is. Stress is usually a constant in some form or other and it’s hard to break the cycle.
Moving more and making more are great tools to help combat stress. But there’s that line, “laughter is the best medicine”. When is the last time you laughed? And I mean really laughed?
Laughter is such great medicine and does indeed reduce stress.
Feel Blessed, Love More:
We all have so much to be grateful for. It’s so easy to get caught up in headlines on the news or the caustic sharpness of comments on social media and shove everything we have to be grateful for out of our heads.
Even on the hard days, there is something to be grateful for. Keeping a gratitude journal has been a key tool in my Anxiety Toolbox.
You can bless someone by writing a letter or sending a text to a friend or loved one to let them know you love and think of them. It takes only a few seconds or minutes to make a difference in the life of someone you care about.
Find a quiet spot each day and just breathe:
This is my favorite line and probably the best advice of the entire quote.
Just breathe. Take long, deep breaths. Take a moment to calm down and notice the little things. Be grateful for this moment and offer a prayer of thanks.
Morning walks with the pups are how I find my quiet spots each day. It’s my opportunity to just breathe and be.
So maybe a Simple Life just means an Intentional Life.
Daily decisions about where you will focus your time, what you feed your body, who you spend time with, and what you fill your mind with. The Daily decisions about how you do business can impact just about every area of your life. That’s a sobering thought for many of us.
What about you?
How do you view balance and simple living?
Today I challenge you to start small.
Start with finding a quiet spot and just breathe.
Marta Goertzen is an entrepreneur, writer, WordPress Website developer, and nature photographer. She daily explores the trails and beaches of the South Central Oregon Coast with her dogs Oliver & Mochi. You can follow along on their adventures on Instagram. Marta also fully believes that change starts with gratitude and that gratitude can change everything. Find out how with the “Grateful Friday 7-Days of Gratitude Starter Kit”