Mental Health and Science - The subject of trying to live a life while pursuing simplicity has been an important principle and goal for many thinkers in science.
Below is an excerpt from American philosopher, Henry David Thoreau, well known for his book Walden, where he reflected on living a simple life published in 1854, saying:
“Our life is frittered away by detail. An honest man need to count more than his ten fingers, or in extreme cases he may add his ten toes, and lump the rest. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!”
Transition 170 years later, 2024, I am reading another book called, Practicing the Way by author John Mark Comer and he reiterates the importance of “pursuing simplicity” and learning the art of saying “no." Maybe to yourself or sometimes saying something similar, but more polite to others such as, “no thank you.”
The Value of a Simple Life
If you reflect on your day and subtract or “cut out” certain things you find unnecessary or don’t see value in, it’s a beautiful thing to let certain things or certain bad habits go. And in turn, with applying easy math, you will find more time for yourself enjoying authentic simplicity.
By cutting certain things out of your life and pursuing simplicity, you will gain much more time to do the things you see value in and get a return on your time. Every person is different though.
Reading over the many chapters of the book, Walden, Thoreau explains how he went to live a Life in the Woods, and details how he tried to live a simple life over two plus years in a cabin he built near Walden Pond in Massachusetts. The book includes many observations he made such as this one saying:
“A lady once offered me a mat, but as I had no room to spare within the house, nor time to spare within or without to shake it, I declined it, preferring to wipe my feet on the sod before my door. It is best to avoid the beginnings of evil.”
Part of these personal stories are brilliant, and some of his experiences seem like an interesting perspective and observations of pursuing a more simplified life.
Author Comer reiterates in his new book the importance of doing less saying, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”
Comer continues on sharing his stories of how he has had to live a slower, simpler life, and shares saying:
“For most of us, it will just require us to cancel a few digital subscriptions, apologetically bow out of a few obligations, watch less TV, go to bed earlier (to get up and pray), and just make space in our days to pause, to breathe, to abide.”
I have been practicing this concept and keeping the TV off at night (during the week) and picking up a book to read instead. Simplifying my evenings has been helpful. By being intentional, and putting my cell phone away early in the evening inside a drawer and having boundaries with technology in the evenings, I feel more energized, and less agitated, more at peace and able to have a better perspective on things before going to bed and getting a good night’s rest.
Cheap Entertainment
In this current modern world, we live an almost a metaverse-like world that resembles more TRON, a science-fiction film, than anything pre-civil war, when author Thoreau wrote his first published book, Walden.
In today’s environment, we seem to be inundated with alerts, messages and cheap entertainment that is not satisfying our souls or helping us with contentment. We would be wise to think a bit more about our natural surroundings and be a bit more self-reliant and less on cheap entertainment.
Thoreau advocated many things but reflected on his work and the importance of solitude and loneliness, describing how nature can entertain and satisfy us, saying:
“Some of my pleasantest hours were during the long rain-storms in the spring or fall, which confined me to the house for the afternoon as well as the forenoon, soothed by their ceaseless roar and pelting.”
How to Change
Author Comer highlights the challenges in his new book with how many people are trying to change and may be trying to chase simplicity. Many people are trying to make changes in their lives but it’s that they “do not know how to change."
Our desires and us having the heart to change has to be more important than our bad “deeply ingrained habits.” We have tendencies, bad habits, automatic responses that many times, we are not even aware of. It could be a lack of motivation or lack of awareness or we need to ask ourselves and write down the pros and the values of changing and pursuing a simple life.
Thoreau explains in his own pursuit of living a simple life during his time at Walden Pond, a social experiment for self-reliance, explaining in rich detail his own attitude saying:
“Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself.”
Perhaps Thoreau was on to something many moons ago. Appreciating nature and the small details we take for granted in this world. Hopefully, we are more mindful to take the time in the present and listen to the natural surroundings and breathe a bit more with calmness and peace.
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