The Freedom Simple Living Was Always Meant to Create

Why simple living is not the destination, but the foundation for mindfulness, right livelihood, and a more meaningful life.

Simple living has often been misunderstood. Some people see it as deprivation. Others think of minimalism or decluttering.

I’ve gradually come to see it differently.

Simple living is a practical way of creating freedom: freedom from unnecessary expense, from unnecessary complexity, and from the constant maintenance that so often consumes our time and attention.

Freedom is only the beginning. Once we have a little more space in our lives, we gain something even more valuable: the opportunity to become more attentive to our experience.

As our awareness deepens, our choices gradually change. We begin living more intentionally. We begin working through right livelihood rather than simply pursuing income. We begin participating more generously in our communities.

What once looked like separate ideas — mindfulness, simple living, right livelihood, and community — gradually reveal themselves as different expressions of the same lifelong inquiry:

How do we live well?

That’s the question explored in the concluding essay of the three-part mini-series on Simple Living and Meaningful Work

You may read the full article here:

[embed]Part 3. Freedom in Service of Meaning Why Simple Living and Right Livelihood Belong Togethermeaningandpurpose.substack.com

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Claude Whitmyer

Author: — In the Company of Others: Making Community in the Modern World — Running a One-Person Business: Business as Lifestyle — Mindfulness and Meaningful Work: Explorations in Right Livelihood

Founder: MeaningfulWork.Com

Coordinator: Briarpatch Network | briarpatch.net