I have lived two lives. One that was much more within society, where I worked in the community Monday to Friday, only really living at the weekends. For sure I had many moments of happiness, I loved the people I looked after, just not the people I worked for.
It was like this inner battle that went on inside of me. I so desperately, wanted to help the people I was caring for, and for a while I did. But in the end I realised that I was just keeping them reliant on the system, instead of really empowering them. And in the end, I was also disempowering myself.
Living a life, that did not feel right to me. That did not make me happy. So I travelled some more and discovered that the less I had, the more happy I was. That the more I lived in harmony with nature, the truer, I was to myself.
I need to feel a part of the natural cycles, to embrace them and celebrate them. In doing so, I am also celebrating myself, celebrating life itself.
We can make things very complicated for ourselves, when we possess too many things. Things that take over our lives and take our attention away from what really matters. From the connection we have with the earth, with ourselves and each other.
There are choices that we make, that lead us to the life we want to live. We decide, whether or not we want to create our dreams, or continue to just sit with them. We can allow ourselves to become distracted or we can focus on what makes us happy. What empowers us.
I have said it already a few times on here, but I live a simple life, a life that makes me very happy. A life that has me living amongst nature, working with the land. A life where I am aware of the resources that I need and how to get them, where I am on the road to being fully self sufficient.
This Rainbow Song, sums up nicely, where I find my joy and what makes me happy.
I find my joy in the simple things, that come from the earth.
I find my joy in the sun that shines and the river that sings to me.
Listen to the wind and listen to the water, hear what they say.
Singing hey yah hey yah hey yah hey yah hey yah hey yah ho X3
Oh never forget, never forget to give thanks,
Give thanks, give thanks, give thanks, and praise
And like I said, it is a choice, it is very much mind over matter. Each day, we get to wake up and choose how we wish to start the day. I get to choose, what I let affect me or influence me.
I am always open to receiving more of life's lessons and recognising how each challenge I face, is an opportunity to learn and grow. Remembering, to embrace them all. Even when they are painful, knowing full well, that I will be so much stronger coming out the other side.
When I am being true to myself, then I am being true to those around me as well.
This is my response to the latest Blog Ideas Of The Week, from the wonderful @theminimalist Community here on Hive. Where the focus is on Inner Peace And Happiness. I invite @revisesociology to get involved this week.
Hello @trucklife-family
I have so much gratitude for the simple life that I live too, but I'm far away from being self-sufficient...
I understand just where you are coming from.
This is so very true!
The lyrics of the rainbow song are a geat start to my day.
Wishing you a lovely day in return:)))
Thanks for your #KISS
I enjoyed it 😉
lips sealed
Thanks so much @millycf1976 .
It is such a lovely song, fills me with joy whenever I sing it xxxx
This is as good a way to live as any and so interesting to hear that the less material things that you had, the freer you felt. I guess when we break it all down, we really don't need all that much. It is the marketing machine that makes people think they need more and more and more and more... They get stuck in a false sense of self, thinking that when I get such and such, I'll be happy... if I can just get that expensive car, I'll be happy.... If I can just get the big house I'll be happy.... but of course life is not that simple and some of the saddest people have no shortage of material wealth and some of the happiest only want wealth in their heart and in their head.
You're a great advocate for this way of life @trucklife-family and you might just have convinced me to start being a bit more self sufficient myself by keeping a vegetable garden.. Thanks for that
Woohoo, go start a vegetable garden, it is so good to grow your own food. For you and your family and get the kids to help, that's one skill that every kid should have.
Ultimately it is all about being true to who you are and you are the only one who knows. Thanks @ablaze xxxxx
I will. My Dad has kept one on the farm for years. Nothing like the spuds and scallions you get and the size of them! Thanks for the encouragement.
Yes growing your own spuds, that's the best, cooking them straight from the ground, no better taste in my opinion and fresh scallions in your salad, I love it xxxx
This has been on my mind a lot, as my impending travels will force me to downsize (is that the right term?) quite a lot. Something I'm not used to, really. So I think that will be a welcome challenge. Recently, I've also come to appreciate the power of spending time in nature, and in quiet (or with some music, since that speaks a lot to me). All of which means I resonate with what you write here greatly.
Alas, not enough people see it as "my life, my choice". They willingly give up the choice, in favor of some modest amenities and comforts, only to then complain about being miserable. Guess the "my life, my choice" ethos can also be quite daunting, though, since it implicitly means "my life, my choice, my (potential) fuck-up". People seem to shun responsibility, so I guess that's why it's better to live like it's not your choice. For some, anyway.
I totally get it, people really go for whatever is convenient. It's how most have been programmed to be honest. To not take responsibility for themselves.
Downsizing is such a good thing to do, it's amazing how much energy we give away to the stuff we own and when we let it go, we feel more energised xxxx
Yes, I'm beginning to see that. My grandmother passed recently, and figuring out to do with the (ton of) stuff she left behind, I've come to realize two things:
(a) it's kinda pointless amassing all this stuff, if it's just going to get thrown away, or lose its value once you die;
(b) we give objects their value, and we can take it away just as easily. I think that's how you start downsizing, maybe. Stop attributing so much value to something that is essentially, just stuff.
So yeah, thanks so much for this post. Came at a really good time for at least one member of your audience (and I'm sure more) :)
💙
Beautifully written. I'd say you were lucky, but you purposefully forged this life. Simplicity is key to happiness.
As you are well aware, my lovely friend. I hope you are well xxxxx
It is beautiful to see how your own decisions had beautiful outcomes. Only you decide over your own future. It is sad to see that most people don't have the courage to make such a decisions.