NEUROSCIENCE + SPIRITUALITY

The Abundance of Simplicity

Where less becomes a doorway to a richer life

The richest life is often found where there is room to simply be. Image Credit: Canva

What if abundance starts the moment when we grasp for less?

There is a wealth gathering quietly like morning light resting on an empty table, asking for nothing, proving nothing. It just arrives, waiting for your eyes that have remembered how to see. The slow kettle singing, the smallest leaf, a weathered hand, or the silence between friends. Each carries more abundance than a hurried heart can ever hold. What if the richest life was never hidden in having more, but discovering that every moment is just as it is, and is always enough.

Abundance is something I have never really known, not because it wasn’t available to me, but because it scared me. I have a mantra I live by.

Too much of something can be too little of what truly matters.

There is something about having less, wanting less, needing less, and living with less that feels lighter, more joyful.

The abundance of simplicity is quiet. It’s not measured by possessions, productivity, or popularity because it requires us to slow down long enough to notice. It is slowing down to watch the kettle sing, not just hear it in the background. My husband, Chris, mentioned the other morning that he’s appreciating the slow pour of his espresso from the moka pot to his cup. It’s in the slowing down to notice.

Yes, I know … there is a world out there that equates abundance with accumulation. More experiences, more education, more success, more followers … I’m tired from just writing that. We read the news for more information and greater certainty, but does it deliver either? The message it sends is that we are full when we keep adding more to our lives.

I bet you know something different. Your gut knows it.

The truth is, the more we accumulate, the more crowded our inner landscape becomes. That’s what helped me understand that abundance isn't about having more. For me, it’s about listening, hearing, and seeing more deeply with my heart and soul.

The hidden wealth of enough

I have found that the most meaningful moments in life are incredibly simple. It’s the shared meal or a shadow on the wall from light drifting through a window or my husband’s hand nestled into mine or my dog gazing into my eyes.

None of those things require us to be someone other than who we are. They also don’t require us to purchase anything, especially happiness. They merely invite us into presence.

That’s it. We only need to be going slow enough to be present.

If we remove distractions, we have room to wonder. Here’s another way of viewing it. What if simplicity was not just about decluttering our homes but also simplifying our schedules, expectations, comparisons, and inner dialogue? Maybe then we would discover that life has been generous all along.

In fact, abundance was never missing, just our attention.

The neuroscience connection

As usual, I’m learning that grasping for less and the power of empty space intersect with spiritual wisdom. When our brains are continually attempting to filter large amounts of information, we can’t consciously process everything around us.

I am unlearning some of the multitasking because of this. Research on attention and mindfulness shows that when we intentionally slow down, stress decreases, emotional regulation improves, and neural networks associated with awareness and compassion are strengthened.

When our nervous system is less preoccupied with distractions and threats, and the need to try harder and do more, we have an amazing ability to notice subtle experiences of beauty, gratitude, and connection.

In other words, simplicity changes not only how we live, but how we see.

Simplicity changes how we see.

What was once ordinary can reveal extraordinary depth.

The spiritual practice of less

This isn’t new news, because several spiritual traditions have leaned into the mystery of less is more.

• The Desert Mothers and Fathers embraced simplicity by moving to the desert to clear away worldly distractions, allowing them to focus on God.
• Jesus withdrew from time to time into solitude.
• Buddha’s writings teach that much of our suffering grows from attachment and endless craving.
• St. Francis of Assisi discovered joy through freedom from possessions; thus, one of his tenets of faith being poverty.
• Thomas Merton wrote about the false self that is endlessly driven to possess, while the contrast of the true self is content to simply be.
• Teresa of Avila’s famous prayer begins with “let nothing disturb you …” which emphasizes inner freedom over external wealth.
• Thich Nhât Hanh has reminded us that the simple act of washing a single bowl can become an encounter with the sacred when we are fully present.
• Julian of Norwich had a vision of a hazelnut, symbolizing creation being held in God’s loving care — a reminder that abundance needn’t be measured by size or quantity but by being loved into existence.
• John O’Donohue, in his book, To Bless This Space Between Us, frequently mentions that beauty exhibits itself to those who slow down enough to notice.
• The wisdom of Laozi teaches us that nature never rushes, and yet everything is accomplished. Simplicity becomes an act of trusting the wisdom woven into creation.
• Dorothy Day was more practical, using her justice-oriented voice of solidarity to remind us that simplicity can become generosity.

Though each of these individuals took different paths, there is a truth that connects them all. Every unnecessary attachment occupies space that love might otherwise fill.

All of this is a reminder that abundance isn’t something we buy, because this type of richness can’t be bought at the market.

It is found in reading slowly, engaging with lingering conversations, leaving empty spaces on the calendar, walking without headphones, or saying no to things that make us scatter rather than gather.

When we allow simplicity to become an abundance, it grows quietly, expanding as we share it. Think about it: peace, kindness, love, and presence all multiply as we spread each of those, and our souls become wealthy in immeasurable ways.

Meditation

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As you get into a comfortable position, allow your breath to settle into a natural rhythm. As you inhale, say quietly to yourself, “I receive this moment.” As you exhale, “Nothing more is needed.”

INHALE: I receive this moment.

EXHALE: Nothing more is needed.

As you continue in silence, imagine yourself standing in an expansive, open field. You are just there. No commitments, no destination, and nothing to do. Imagine the gentle movement of wind rustling through the tall grass. Pay attention to how the same spaciousness opens within you. With each breath, let your expectations soften. Release any thoughts of comparison and things you feel you need to do.

Rest here for as long as you can allow yourself.

When you are ready, place your hand over your heart and say, “May I learn the abundance of simplicity that has always been available.”

Reflection

1. In what ways do you or have you mistaken accumulation with abundance?
2. What do you think your soul might discover if you created a little more space this week?
3. Think about some simple moments you’ve experienced recently. What beauty did you notice, or perhaps because you’re reflecting on the moment now, you recognize there was beauty?

Ways to Practice

1. Practice grateful enoughness: Before going to sleep, write down three simple gifts from your day that remind you that life is already generous. These aren’t about accomplishments or possessions, but I think you already knew that.
2. Create a sacred margin: Leave 30 minutes unscheduled this week. Do your best not to fill it, and as you walk through that unscheduled time, notice what emerges within as you give yourself room to breathe.
3. Notice one ordinary miracle: Choose one everyday moment like a cup of tea or coffee, birds chirping outside your window, or folding laundry. Give it your complete attention for two minutes. Notice what occurs as you allow nothing to be ordinary.

I don’t know about you, but I tend to search for abundance in places where I think they promise me more — certainty, recognition, success, and sometimes possessions, although I’ve been letting go of possessions as a spiritual practice, and I can tell you firsthand, it does help me lean into simplicity in a way I never imagined.

One of my not-so-great habits is doomscrolling on Instagram, which I have also been letting go of. The way I manage it is that every time I think about picking up my phone and my finger moves toward the Instagram icon, I put my phone down and pick up a book instead and read slowly, or, as a watercolor painter, I do some painting.

I’ve learned that simplicity doesn’t shrink my life. In fact, it expands it and my capacity to receive other gifts. My hope is that the more the distractions become a thing of the past, beauty will become increasingly abundant. I also hope that gratitude will become more natural, and that I will sense the presence of the Sacred as it becomes harder to miss.

Have you ever thought that abundance has never been waiting somewhere else? Perhaps it’s been waiting quietly here, waiting for our return.

Blessing

May you slowly embrace a gentle movement of uncluttering. May what is unnecessary fall away with kindness. May you discover that your open heart holds more than closed hands ever could. May your eyes awaken to quiet miracles hidden within your ordinary days. May simplicity become a homecoming, not a sacrifice, And may you leave this moment knowing the richest life is not always the fullest one, but the one most deeply lived. May it be so.

May you know that you are loved because you matter. May your soul be refreshed.

sdg

Here are other stories from Refresh the Soul writers:

/Jenn/ always writes about moving into spaces that bring more inner growth. This time it’s about being present to now so you can rest in the joy.

“Growth a‌nd grati⁠t⁠ude can live side by side.​ You can want more for yourself and still appreciate what is already here.”

[embed]The Joy of Now: Learning To Be Happy Where You Are Slowing down to appreciate where you are now creates space for gratitude and peacemedium.com

Maybe you’re someone who resonates with the idea that spirituality is a cheat code. Aranmakan writes about the intersection of spirituality, science, yoga, and simplicity.

“The fewer things you need to be happy, the more things you can be happy about.”

[embed]Spirituality Is the Cheat Code for Human Life Karma Yoga, simplicity, and the science behind why spiritual principles workmedium.com

Steve Mitchell is a pastor at heart and hosts the column Faith Unfiltered at Refresh the Soul. He will take you to church with his vulnerability, writing from a posture of honesty about his struggles in life and how they connect to scripture.

“I’m not going to tell you the Psalms fixed me. They didn’t. What I found, or what found me, which is closer to the truth, was that 25 consecutive mornings with this text changed what I’m willing to say out loud in God’s presence. That turned out to matter more than I expected.”

[embed]What the Psalms Did to Me Or, how I stopped managing what I say to Godmedium.com

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