Part of the reason I’m so happy is that I discovered what I’m passionate about and decided to focus on the things that inspire me. To do this I had to take a few risks and make major changes in my life.

Examples of these changes include:

1. Quitting my day job and moving to a city that fit my needs.

2. Giving away most of my stuff and moving into a smaller apartment.

3. And putting the time in to build a profitable small business around my writing.

Since the NYT’s article “But Will it Make You Happy?” was published I’ve received hundreds of emails from readers asking for advice about happiness. I don’t claim to know the secret of happiness. However, I’ve learned a lot of lessons during my downsizing journey that will help you cultivate happiness in your life. I decided to revise and update my thoughts on this topic to address all the questions I’ve received.

I hope the tips below will help you become a happiness ninja!

1. Create time to figure out what you really love.

If you constantly run from meeting to meeting and have your evenings and weekends packed with events, it’s time to start saying no. Say no to extra obligations. Instead use that time to figure out what you really love.

Living a simpler lifestyle will give you the time and freedom to cultivate your interests. Don’t fall into the trap of doing what everyone else does. You don’t have to watch 5 hours of T.V. everyday or work in a cubicle to earn a pension. There are options. However, it’s essential to make time to figure out what those options are. Ignoring your unhappiness and walking through life as a human robot is not a solution.

2. Find meaning and purpose in life.

Don’t become a zombie.

One way to do this is to determine the biggest and most important problem you can solve with your skills. Use that gift to find meaning, purpose and happiness in your life. We all have unique skills and gifts. Once you figure out what those gifts are apply them to a problem you care deeply about.

Finding meaning, purpose and happiness isn’t easy. It’s a journey we all have to figure out, but it is possible if we prioritize happiness in our lives.

3. Say no to conspicuous consumption.

Get off the work-watch-spend treadmill by saying no to conspicuous consumption.

You don’t have to trade your time or money for a “cool” identity, a car or a big house. Trading your time and money for manufactured stuff is more likely to result in higher levels of debt and less satisfaction.

Think about your daily life. What are your consumption, work, sleeping and eating patterns like? Are you making conscious decisions about these areas of your life or just going through the motions?

4. Don’t act like other people.

Everyone is unique and beautiful and we should celebrate this diversity. Yet, I run into a lot of people who mimic the supposedly “cool kids.” You don’t need to emulate others to find happiness. We are all cool kids with our own interests.

5. Don’t buy your identity.

How many times have you run out to the store and purchased the latest “in-style” shirt? It’s easy to get sucked into consumer culture and buy what we’re told is “stylish.” To some extent we can’t avoid being influenced by culture, but we don’t have to buy into the messaging. Constantly questioning your choices will help you figure out your principles and preferences.

6. Cut people some slack.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in the last few years is to cut people some slack. You have no idea what kind of trauma people walk around with on a daily basis. If your co-worker is being grouchy, cut that person some slack. There is probably a deeper reason why that individual is in a bad mood or not treating you kindly.

The only person you can change is yourself. Be mindful and don’t snap, bicker or be mean to others. That type of behavior won’t bring you happiness or make the world a better place.

7. Give more than you get.

Learning how to give and be grateful for everyday gifts is an essential component to finding yourself and happiness.

Giving might look different for everyone. For instance, if you blog help out your blogging buddies. Highlight their work, give encouragement and feedback on their posts. If you’re into volunteer work, take it up an extra notch and increase the number of hours you give to an organization every week.

Or donate a portion of your income or your time to an organization you believe in. In The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard points out that activists and volunteers are some of the happiest people on the planet. Get involved in your community and do something.

8. Learn to be satisfied with enough.

What is your enough point? How much do you really need to be happy? A number of researchers studying positive psychology have determined that people don’t need much to be happy after their basic needs are met. Is wanting too much detrimental to happiness? State this?

Happiness is found by expressing our values and connecting with others. Happiness is not for sale at the shopping mall.

9. It’s okay to ask for help.

If you’re feeling lost or confused, ask for help. Have some tea with a friend or family member you admire. Talk to them about your problems and ask questions about their lifestyle choices.

10. Be a lifelong learner.

Rethinking your perspective is a huge part of finding happiness. If we continually latch onto the same worldview, how can we grow and improve our lives? Rethinking requires discussions, reading and communicating with others and allows us to answer new questions that arise.

11. Take care of your mental and physical health.

Figuring out who you are and what makes you happy can’t happen if you’re not taking care of your physical and mental health. You only have one body and mind. Consider the consequences of choices that may jeopardize your health.

12. Be mindful of your values when you spend money.

In Your Money Or Your Life, the authors encourage people to ask themselves three questions before they buy anything:

• Will I receive fulfillment, satisfaction and value in proportion to life energy spent?

• Is this expenditure of life energy in alignment with my values and life purpose?

• How might this expenditure change if I didn’t have to work for a living?

By asking yourself these questions, you’ll be able to examine your true consumption patterns. In addition, these questions can help you clarify your values and true purpose in life.

And when you spend money consider supporting artists and local businesses. It sustains the local economy and it’s one way to make community connections. It’s not a bad thing to spend money. Before you spend your case, do research. Making thoughtful, informed choices will bring you greater happiness than impulse spending.

***

If you haven’t already, or didn’t know, you can sign up for free RowdyKitten updates by RSS or email. Thanks for your support!

Over the last few months, I’ve been interviewing amazing bloggers about simple living, location independence, financial freedom, and more. Every Thursday, a feature interview is posted on RowdyKittens. Last week I spoke with Joshua Becker about minimalism, downsizing, and his new book Inside-Out Simplicity.

This week the feature interview is with Tyler Tervooren, from Advanced Riskology.

Enjoy the interview peeps!

***

Tammy: Tyler, can you tell us about your awesome new (and free) ebook, Take This Job & Shove It? Also, take a moment to explain the philosophy behind your blog.

Tyler: Of course. Take This Job & Shove It is a step by step, practical resource for anyone that’s stuck in a job they hate and dream about the day they can quit, but can’t see the connection between the two. I decided to write it after making the huge changes in my life that led up to the creation of the blog.

When I was still working in the construction industry, almost every single day I’d have a chat with my co-workers (and even my boss!) about what we’d do if we didn’t need our jobs anymore. Some of us wanted to start our own business and some of us just wanted to find a way to make a decent living doing some hobby. Every day we’d have this conversation and every day it would end with everyone saying, “but I’m lucky to have this job.”

I wrote the guide for anyone that’s had that conversation before, whether it was with friends or just with their self.

The philosophy behind Advanced Riskology is that we all learn, grow, and succeed far more when we take big risks in our lives than when we try to play it safe and “just get by.” My goal is to help people live interesting lives by taking bigger risks.

Tammy: One of my favorite parts of Take This Job and Shove It is your discussion of the F*** You Fund. Can you tell us a little bit more about the concept and what our readers can do today to start building an F*** You Fund?

Tyler: So, a F*** You Fund is the money you set aside while you’re still working so that when the day comes, you can walk into work and telling your boss to “take this job and shove it.” Of course, it doesn’t have to be so dramatic, but I found that giving it a name like that makes it more fun to actually keep up with.

I go into a lot of details in the free guide about how to build it and stick with it as well as some of the misconceptions around it like the idea that it has to take a long time or that it has to be a ton of money, but I think Rowdy Kittens readers are great candidates for building a F*** You Fund because their already predisposed to living what I call a “low overhead” lifestyle.

Anyone interested in minimalism that has a few personal finance skills already has exactly what it takes to be super effective with the information in Take This Job & Shove It.

My #1 tip for someone that wants to start today, though? Open a savings account and set up a weekly automatic transfer to it. Doesn’t matter how much. Just get it started.

Tammy: What’s your opinion of minimalism and do you consider yourself a minimalist?

Tyler: I consider myself more of a maximalist with minimalist tendencies if that makes any sense!

Basically, my life strategy is to fit as many experiences as possible into my short time here on Earth. When I’m lying on my deathbed, I want my brain to be “stomping on the suitcase” full of memories trying to get it to close.

In order to achieve that, though, I take on a lot of minimalist principles. I own very few material possessions. I only spend my money on things that will leave me with an awesome memory, and I am always in search of the simplest and most elegant way to achieve a goal. I despise complexity.

So, some minimalists might call me a contradiction in that sense, but I’m ok with that!

Tammy: Your blog rocks and I think everyone should head over and take a look at your content. Which of your posts should my readers check out first?

Tyler: If I had to guess which post would be the most popular with minimalists it would be the one about how to instantly add 8.2 years and $133,369 to your life. Hint: It has to do with your TV.

Tammy: Everyone has unique skills; skills that I call superpowers. What is your superpower?

Tyler: Ha. Great question! I think my superpower is the power to “move on.” I occasionally get emails or notes from readers asking, “I want to do [something cool, but scary] but what if it doesn’t work and [something crappy] happens instead”?

My answer is usually, “big deal.” I mean, I try to be nicer and more helpful than that, of course, but I’m really all about picking up after and moving on when something doesn’t go my way. That’s critical I think in a life filled with risk taking.

Failure is just part of the game. It happens all the time, but I’m really not interested in dwelling on it. We learn a lot more from our successes than we do failures, so when I screw something up, I spend a few minutes looking for the big “Duh!” that I need to remember not to repeat, and then I get on with trying again.

Also, I have x-ray vision.

Tammy: Thanks Tyler!

If this post helped you, please share it on twitter! And don’t forget to head over to Advanced Riskology and check out the awesome content!

The overwhelming desire to please others can result in doing stupid work and make our lives more complex, rather than simple. At it’s core the need-to-please disease is about living for others’ approval.

So what is the need-to-please disease? Let’s look at a few common traits:

• Not being honest with others about who we really are
• Constantly worrying about what other people think
• Being fearful of saying no
• Saying yes to every request that comes your way
• Trying to do everything by yourself
• Feeling bad because you don’t know the answer to a problem
• Being nice to the point of self harm.

So the question is:

If you are living for others’ approval, how can you focus on doing good work, be an amazing friend, spouse, or community member?

Let me give you an example…

I want to please my clients and do a rock star job on writing and web design projects. In theory this isn’t a bad thing. Providing kick ass services should be part of every business model.

However, a few weeks ago I spent an incredible amount of time on a project; only to fall flat on my face. Despite many hours of trouble shooting and talking with colleagues, I couldn’t figure out the answer to a specific web design problem. To make a long story short, I had to tell my client I didn’t know what I was doing wrong. I wasn’t able to provide the level of service I would have liked.

I also realized that I’d gotten caught in the people-pleasing trap. I spent over 20 hours on a project that should have taken 8. I think it’s essential to give 110% on any project. However, I think there is a breaking point; a time when you have to admit to yourself and your client, friend, or family member, that you don’t have the answer they are looking for.

Let’s talk about a few solutions to this tricky problem…

1. Learn to say “no”.

Make a list of the number of times you say “yes” during the week. If you suffer from the need-to-please disease the number of times you say yes, in one week, might be shocking.

Learning to say”no” is hard. I’ve gotten better at saying no over the last few months. RowdyKittens is continuing to grow, which is so exciting! In the last month, my subscriber number went up to 2,500. My email inbox has also been filled with requests to work on projects, answer specific questions, etc.

All of that is awesome and I’m grateful for the support. But I can’t say “yes” to everything.

2. Being “nice” can be a downfall.

I’m not advocating that you turn into a mean, evil, person. However, being nice can be a downfall. If your aim is to please everyone, you will continue to say “yes” to projects and engagements you aren’t excited about.

Rather than being “nice”, I think you should aim for being assertive and honest. Tell your colleagues and loved ones how you really feel. Don’t say “yes” because you want someone to like you; say yes because you are thrilled about working on a project or going to an event.

3. Know your limits.

Set clear boundaries and expectations about what you can and can’t do in your personal and professional life. In our hurried world, it’s easy to lose focus and tax our emotional and physical limits. Working too much, loosing sleep, and snapping at loved ones are a few examples of things that happen when we push ourselves past our limits.

What are your emotional and physical limits?

4. Pay attention to how you parcel out your time.

Focusing on one task at a time has been my mantra for the last few months. When your working on a project either for personal or professional gain, focus. For instance, when I work on projects for clients I set a timer and focus solely on that project. Time is a valuable commodity. So if a project takes longer than expected, I start billing by the hour. (Make sure you specify this in a contract.)

Be sure to read: How to Reduce Your Email Checking to Once a Day.

5. Ask for help.

If you don’t know the answer to a specific question, ask for help. It’s okay to admit you don’t have all the answers. You don’t have to do everything by yourself.

Living for others’ approval can do more harm than good. For instance, I’ve spent hours worrying about whether or not someone “liked” me; which translated into a lot of lost time and emotional stress.

You don’t have to seek others’ approval to do good work, be a good friend, spouse, or community member. So use the tips above to keep yourself centered.

“Stupid work” happens when you give into fear, give up creative control, and stop doing work that matters.

Depending on your field of expertise your idea of stupid work might be different from mine. For instance, by the time I was in my mid 20′s I worked at a number of “real jobs,” had a BA and two masters degrees. But I didn’t feel a sense of accomplishment or that my work rocked. A lot of my work was unnecessary, automated, and stupid. Attending three hour meetings, commuting over 2 hours a day, and playing office politics were a few of the many stupid things I engaged in. This type of work left me feeling dissatisfied and pressured to conform to what others wanted my professional life to look like. I also wondered if all my education mattered or if it conditioned me to follow the status-quo.

In many ways I think the motivation for doing stupid work emanates from fear. The fear of being useless, fear of being without money, or the fear of doing something different. By choosing to stop doing stupid work you can make meaningful choices. For example, a meaningful choice might be scaling back the time you spend at the office and devoting those hours to volunteer work.

Here are the top four things that will help you do work that matters.

1. Produce work that creates a better world.

I think people are hungry to do meaningful, creative work. Work that contributes to producing a better world; one in which we can get more from less.

Ask yourself:

• How does my work make other lives better?
• Does my work give me time for family and community?
• Do I  have creative control over my work?
• What is my legacy?

2. Expand your knowledge base to pursue creative endeavors.

Keep learning and expanding your knowledge to pursue creative endeavors, to question the status-quo, and to make informed choices.

3. Focus on one thing at a time.

In an age of distraction there is a lot to be said for focus. So many folks try to do 5 things at once, rather than focusing on one task. For instance, if your working on an article focus on that task. Do you research ahead of time and then start writing.

4. Keep asking questions.

Professionals control the technical means but not the social goals of their creative work. The professional’s lack of control over the political content of his or her creative work is the hidden root of much career dissatisfaction … Professionals are licensed to think on the job, but they are obedient thinkers. ~Jeff Schmidt

Continue to ask yourself hard questions about the nature of work. By asking tough questions you might be “unprofessional,” but you won’t be an obedient thinker.

What would you add to the list?

Ever since I left my day job at the end of January the traffic and subscribers on RowdyKittens has doubled. I went from about 500 subscribers at the end of January to over 1,300! Thank you to all the new and long-time RowdyReaders. Thank you for participating in this community and being open to new perspectives. I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude for the recent success.

Now you’re probably wondering how this is correlated to saying “no.” With the increase in traffic, I’ve received an incredible amount of email requests. I respond to each email. But I’m learning that at some point I have to say “no”. It’s impossible to be part of every group, write for 10 different blogs or go to a social event every night.

Living a simple lifestyle means limiting my commitments and being aware of how I spend my time. Having focus and prioritizing ensures that I’m pumped about each new project or activity I take on. I want to be effective and consistently produce quality work. Saving no to an activity or project might disappoint people momentarily but in the long term, learning how to say no is an important skill that demonstrates integrity.

How do you say “no” gracefully?

1. Be honest.

If you need to say “no”, be honest. Don’t lie. People are more understanding than we think.

2. Don’t be a jerk.

Be nice and don’t be a jerk when you say “no” to an invitation or project opportunity. Let the individual know you’d be happy to help in the future, but you can’t participate at this time because of A, B or C. Also, consider referring that person to someone who might be able to help.

3. Let go of guilt.

Saying “yes” to an invitation because you might feel guilty is not cool. In the long run it doesn’t help you or the other person/organization involved. Just because you’ve always planned a big baseball tournament, doesn’t mean you have to continue planning it every year.

If you say “yes” to a commitment you’re not passionate about, people can tell. And more than likely your performance will not be the best. Do what you love. Not what others want you to do.

People are not stupid. They can tell if your passion for a project or an activity has faded. Say “no” and let go of your guilt.

How do you decide to say no to a request, if you’re unsure? Here are some strategies I use to make up my mind:

1. Sleep on it.

Maybe you were invited to a big event, but aren’t sure if you should go? Then sleep on it. If you’re feeling unsure about something a good night sleep might do the trick. I know when I’m sleep deprived my decision making skills aren’t stellar. Don’t be rash, be thoughtful.

2. Go for a walking meditation.

I’m a big fan of taking really long walks (between 2 and 3 hours) in the park. I usually bring my camera, a writing pad and my thoughts. I listen to the birds, insects chirping and wind blowing through the trees. Walking clears my mind and helps me focus on the right choice.

3. Listen to your instinct.

Listen to your gut, instincts, 6th sense or whatever you want to call it. The value of instinctive insight has been disregarded by many people. But I think our brain stores and holds onto information we might not be consciously aware of. We have these kinds of feelings and hunches for a reason, but we tend to ignore them when we should be listening.

What would you add to the list?

Spread the love. If this post helped you, please retweet it and share the content with your tribe. Thanks!

At the end of January, I left my day job. I’d been planning my escape for about a year. I quit my “good job” in one of the worst economic climates in history. I’m sure that sounds a little crazy to you. My family was very concerned and thought I was nuts.

Why did I leave?

Earlier this week, I mentioned that I worked in the movement to end violence against women for about 10 years. There were a lot of things that I loved about the field and my job. However, I reached the burnout point and knew I needed a break.

In Minimalist Health, I talked about the importance of taking care of your physical and emotional health. You only get one body and mind. If you don’t take care of both, I don’t think you can effectively help others. For folks who work in social services burnout is common and and I think it’s incredibly important to take care of yourself. If that means asking for a reduced work schedule or leaving a “good job,” then it’s something you have to do. Not only for yourself, but for the victims you help everyday.

With that in mind, I knew it was time to make a serious career change. Starting a small business is something I’ve always wanted to do. But I never had the confidence to actually follow through. I was living a life society said was “good” but I couldn’t figure out why I was so unhappy. Thanks to the encouragement of mentors, I finally stopped talking about my dreams, and started planning to make them a reality.

How did I do it? I discovered a few tips and tools anyone can use to create a rockin’ career path and ditch their cubicle.

1. Believing in yourself leads to passion and focus.

When I finally discovered my writing voice, I got really excited. I thought, “WOW! I can do this! The key is to just keep writing content that helps people.” I know that probably seems like a silly revelation, but it’s true.

It comes down to believing in yourself. You are an artist. If you believe you can do something, passion and focus follow. Moving from a fearful mindset to one of focus, changed my career path for the better.

Fear gets the best of so many people. We listen to the lizard brain instead of growing and embracing new opportunities. In short, we don’t believe in our abilities. People are constantly saying to themselves, “I can’t because ……” rather than saying I can. By pushing back the lizard brain and focusing on my passion for simple living, I’ve been able to create art that makes a difference. And it all started with believing in myself.

Micro-actions: Start a journal and write down all your dreams. Think about what brings your joy, happiness and what skills you love to use. Don’t hold back. By finding your passion you can begin to help others.

2. Prioritize your spending.

Save your money and stop buying useless crap.

If you’re thinking of making a huge career change and quitting your day job, make sure you have enough savings to meet at least one year of your expenses. A few of my friends have left jobs with three to six months of their salary saved and I think that is the minimum. A financial cushion is ideal for decreasing your anxiety during a transition period, especially if things don’t turn out the way you expect.

There are a number of ways you can get your finances under control. One of the best things you can do is to start reading about simple living and/or the minimalist lifestyle. Thanks to simple living we downsized to a smaller apartment, sold our cars and realized that buying more stuff wouldn’t satisfy our pursuit of happiness. Using this method we were able to reduce our expenses and thus make our savings last much longer. Spending less is typically much easier than working more.

Without simple living, there is no way I could have transitioned out of my cubicle. Three years ago my expenses were out of control and the notion of leaving my day job to work less and “write” sounded silly and trite.

Micro-actions: Evaluate your finances. If you have debt, start looking for ways to cut back. For ideas and methods consider reading blogs like Zen Habits, Man Versus Debt and Far Beyond the Stars. I’d also encourage you to read the book: Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin.

3. Take online classes and read as much as possible.

Last year, I enrolled in Pam Slim’s Escape Seminar and it rocked my world. It helped me refine what the heck I was doing with my writing and small business. I realized that I needed to transform my blog from a personal journal to a resource for people. So I started focusing on writing solid content. Content that helps others and provides value to the world. Taking online classes has been a great way to connect with other folks.

Last month I participated in the 100 biz forum. Chris and Pam are rock stars and facilitated an excellent forum, packed with useful tips and tools. Registration is now open for their next $100 business forum and I recommend this course to everyone starting an online business.

Enrolling in online classes and reading as much as possible content is a great place to start. It is also critical to make connections with your peers. Meeting people and developing relationships is an valuable source for learning and sustaining my passion.

Micro-actions: Consider taking an online class and start reading as much as possible. If you’re not sure where to start, take a peek at some of the books I’ve read this year.

4. Test the waters.

If you’re thinking of starting your own business, consider testing the waters. Find your tribe and test your ideas. Start a blog, write an ebook or develop a free online class. There are a million different ways to get feedback on potential business ideas.

Blogs are such a good way to connect with other people and to  share resources. If you don’t like writing, maybe you can start vlogging. Look to Gary V as an example of what you can do with video.

Micro-actions: Brainstorm ways to test your idea and go for it. Don’t let fear hold you back.

Seth Godin has a wealth of information on his blog and has written some amazing books about marketing and business. Add his blog to your Google Reader and check out some of his books from your local library.

5. Be aware of your media consumption.

Not watching television is a recurring theme in many of my posts. Why? It is an incredible time suck and most entertainment shows are a big ad placement scheme. I’m not a fan of TV. However, not all video media is bad. I think some programs are very valuable, like TED talks, PBS, and educational indie documentaries.

The mindless consumption of media is dangerous. You might not own a TV, but you might surf the web for 6 hours a day. Bottom line – be mindful of your media consumption patterns.

Changing your career focus isn’t easy. Being aware of how you spend your time is essential. For example, If you go home and watch a couple hours of TV a night you may not have enough time or energy left to plan your transition. I recommend changing your behavior and using your TV Time to focus on creating art and thinking about your long-term goals. Distracting yourself won’t change anything and will only delay your progress.

Micro-action: Add up how many hours a day your watch television or mindlessly surf the internet. Use those extra hours to focus on a project that will help you change careers.

Take a few minutes and read: But it’s better than TV

6. Seek out mentors.

I have a number of amazing mentors. Thanks to reading books and blogs created by these folks, I finally worked up the confidence to leave my day job and pursue my dreams. I’m writing for a living, working on fun web design projects and enjoying leisure time.

Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens in community. Without the help of mentors or my blog readers I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Micro-actions: Seek out mentors and start talking about your dreams. Plan to go after those dreams instead of letting them gather dust.

7. Build relationships, be human and be kind.

Building relationships is the key to success. Whether you plan on starting your own business or staying with your current organization you need to build relationships. For me this comes back to community involvement, reciprocity and the joy of helping others.

Micro-action: Read Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith.

Closing thoughts…

Life is too short to be stuck in a career you hate. I truly believe anything is possible, especially if you build relationships and start getting involved with your community. The time we have on this planet is too precious to be exchanged at big box stores for useless crap.

Go out into the world, pursue your dreams and spend time with your loved ones. In this you will find the joy that comes from a satisfied mind.

***

Spread the love. If this post helped you, please retweet it and share the content with your tribe. Thanks!

“I believe that examining the hidden impacts of all the Stuff in our lives is a way to unplug, which is the first step toward changing things.” ~Annie Leonard

A few days ago I started reading the Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard. I haven’t finished the book yet, but so far it rocks. The book prompted me to think about why I write and why simple living is important.

I write to help others, to constantly reevaluate my own beliefs and to be part of a community. I started this blog as a personal journal and to rethink my world view. My goal is to create social change through simple living. A social movement of people who are living simple, authentic and uncluttered lives.

It’s my hope that the writing on this blog will inspire you to join a movement of change and to rethink your perspective on life, community and relationships. This blog has never been about scolding or trying to make you feel bad. Rather, I want to foster a community where we focus on positive change and how we can help others. Further, my hope is that you will question the status quo, your consumption choices and your world view.

I worked in the movement to end violence against women for over 10 years, in a variety of capacities. I provided counseling services to rape and domestic violence victims, did research and public policy advocacy. During that time, I learned a lot about what it takes to sustain a vibrant, fully inclusive movement for change. Most problems (like violence against women) are systemic and are connected to the economy, public health and the rights afforded to women across the globe. More importantly I learned that we are all connected.

I think it’s important for activists in any movement for change to examine problems from a holistic perspective. I consider myself to be a systems thinker. System thinking means considering an issue’s effects on broader systems, like the economy, the environment and public health. That’s part of the reason I write about such a broad variety of topics, from downsizing to living a car-free life. Money, jobs, and people operate within systems. How we chose to live our lives and whether or not we’re involved in our community has a huge impact on broader social systems.

Below are some of my overarching beliefs about simple living, why I think it’s an important concept and how simple living can change your life for the better.

1. Saying “no” to the wasteful consumption habits will bring happiness and health to your life.

Like Annie, I am not against stuff. I’m against mindless consumption and trashing of the planet. Our choices matter and your dollar counts as a vote. I think it’s essential that we share products and are mindful to weigh the true cost of an item against the potential benefits.

Stuff isn’t inherently bad. When I purchase stuff, I buy from local artisans, thrift stores and ask questions about where things are made and by whom. Rather than mindlessly consuming and then throwing things out, I think we should value stuff, share stuff, repair stuff and truly appreciate who created the item.

In the end, I think it’s about questioning what is “enough” and what we really “need” to be happy and healthy. Study after study shows that once our basic needs are met, more stuff doesn’t bring us happiness. In fact, it often leads to depression. Saying “no” to consumption and getting off the work, sleep, eat, shop, repeat treadmill will bring an incredible amount of happiness and satisfaction into your life.

2. Doing what you love will give you an opportunity to help others.

Open your own doors. It’s so easy to let the lizard brain get the best of us. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can make beautiful art and make a difference. Even if you aren’t 100% happy with your job, there has to be at least one area of your position where you feel you can make a difference and help others.

If not, you can do something. Consider sharing your ideas on a blog, volunteering or spending more time with your friends and family. The little things in life can bring us more joy than we realize.

3. Everything is connected.

It’s hard to talk about lifestyle design when we know that:

• Over 1 billion people in Africa and Asia do not have access to clean drinking water.
• One in six American women has been the victim of a rape.
• According to UNICEF, 25,000 children die each day due to poverty.
• 25% of the world’s population in industrialized countries consume about 75 percent of global resources.

Living a simple and authentic life allows people to focus on helping others. The statistics I mentioned above are more than numbers. These are real people who need help. Simple living is about more than tiny homes or learning how to live clutter free. For me simple living is about social change. The movement is about holistically examining the money economy, the materials economy and our health. Everything is connected.

4. Be happy with what you have.

If you lost everything today, who would you be? If you couldn’t do the work you love, what would you be known for? Are you happy with what you have and the life you are leading? Or are you looking to make a change?

I think we all need to embrace change. Changing our behavior isn’t easy, but I think it’s something that has to be discussed. We can’t ignore pertinent conversations about capitalism and the amount of resources used by Americans everyday. I think we can live a good, authentic and intentional life without consuming so much stuff.

5. Reading will open your mind.

Reading a variety of material is one way to open your mind to different perspectives. Changing behavior isn’t easy and it doesn’t happen over night. I’m still sucked into consumer tendencies. However, I’m able to keep them at bay by not watching TV and reading as much as possible.

Without books, amazing blogs and indie newspapers my perspective would have stayed static. I wouldn’t have learned about the benefits of simple living or the interconnected nature of so many important issues. I’m far from perfect and always look for ways to expand my horizon and knowledge base.

6. Getting connected to your community will improve the world.

I truly believe connecting to a like minded community and being open to different perspectives will improve the world. We can’t create any kind of movement without community or the ability to listen to opposing viewpoints. You might not agree with me and that’s okay. However, the conversation has to start somewhere. Conversations about improvements must happen in active, engaged communities.

I think we can move away from fragmented solutions to many social ills and move toward comprehensive change. For that to happen people need to get involved in the political process, voice their opinion and use their privilege for good.

If you are reading this, you have access to resources that can open up new and amazing worlds. What are you going to do with that opportunity? How are you going to improve the world with your next decision?

***

Spread the love. If this post helped you, please retweet it and share the content with your tribe. Thanks!