“Simple doesn’t mean you don’t put in effort or that you just lay back and watch things happen. Simple can sometimes mean more work, more planning, and even more thought put into your philosophy of life.” ~ Rohan Anderson in Whole Larder Love: Grow Gather Hunt Cook
Often my idea of simple living equates almost directly with doing-it-myself and well doing-it-myself is rarely simple. I’m not complaining, this way of life is exactly what I’ve chosen and I wouldn’t change it even when I’m obsessing over whether or not the bees will survive the winter. There are a multitude of projects going on here at Two Frog Home and while we’re not even sure if all of them are going to be successful or tasty, we’re already planning the next rounds.
The thought we have put into our philosophy life pretty much boils down to “we can almost always do it better.” In most cases that’s true, we’re not trying to be master electricians or plumbers, we hire skilled workers when we need them, however; most of the time we do believe and are able to do it better ourselves.
Walking around the house this weekend and looked at our many D.I.Y. projects – the fermenting carboy of apple cider, the curing bars of soap, the herbal infused oils being made into body butter, etc. I realized again, just how seriously we do take our voluntary simplicity philosophy. It does take effort, work, and planning but in the end it brings us satisfaction and joy in a job well-done and in a life well-lived. I don’t pretend that our lives are perfect or that we don’t screw up or cause harm to the earth but we’re trying on a daily basis to do it better, to treat our community better, and to live a simpler life.
As you start your week, let me just encourage you to not be dismayed by the effort and work required in living a simple life. Find what works for you, embrace it and move forward. Simple living like anything else takes practice and the more you practice the better you get and the more joy you find in your results.
