TheAdvocate's Full Review: Janet Luhrs - The Simple Living Guide: A Sourceboo...
When I hit 30, my biggest problem was managing all our household stuff - things that required polishing, storing, arranging, sorting, dusting, deodorizing, oiling, alphabetizing, and putting away. Many of my friends had the same problem; one described her state of mind just before house-cleaning as "confused" and "paralyzed." According to the philosophy of Voluntary Simplicity (VS), our problem was over-consumption.
Sounds like something your mother-in-law might tell you, doesn't it? But VS isn't so much about limits, as it is about freedom; the freedom to do what you want to do, instead of doing what you must do in order to pay for an overly-expensive lifestyle. And contrary to what many of conservative friends think, VS proponents (who tend to be liberal greens) don't advocate laws to mandate simple living. Instead, most of them cite Thoreau's wish to "live deliberately," believing that for it to work, it must be a choice.
In Janet Luhrs' book, The Simple Living Guide, Thoreau's idea of deliberate living is the first truth presented. She quotes Thoreau in her introductory essay, "Living Deeply" -- an inspiring introduction to the ideals of simple living, and one that helped change my views about what's important in life.
According to Luhrs, VS isn't just about buying less to reduce clutter. It's about building a cob home for under $5000. It's about plucking dinner from garden rows and burning cardboard refuse to heat the living room. It's about finding time to read Proust. It's about rejecting the stair machine and walking. And, contrary to the pervasive myth, VS is not about self-imposed poverty. It's about financial independence, radical savings plans, sustainable investment incomes, even retiring in your 30s.
Luhrs addresses almost every aspect of your life that can benefit from simplification: money, romance, cooking, work, housing, family life, health/exercise, travel, gardening, and most important of all: how you spend your time. After reading Luhrs' book cover to cover, you will find yourself with more free time. Not only that, but a less stressful daily routine, a more positive outlook, and a calmer spirit.
Once I found Luhrs' Guide, I started my VS trek by eliminating inanimate objects that were causing me distress. I'd never really thought about it before, but lots of the junk I kept around for sentimental reasons was really a drag on my psyche. Getting rid of it not only made the house look cleaner and bigger, it allowed me to let go of my desperate grip on the past and start living in the present.
After addressing clutter (and that's an ongoing thing, even after a year), I started to look at our finances. My goal is to take Luhrs' advice and get entirely out of consumer debt. It hasn't happened yet, but it's a goal that's teaching me moderation and patience. With those two monkeys off my back, I'll be able to spend even more time in my garden, trying new, healthy recipes, talking to my husband (how many times have I been too stressed or preoccupied to just chat with him?) and enjoying the simple pleasures my five-year-old son has an affinity for locating.
I've read several books on voluntary simplicity - books by Elaine St. James, Duane Elgin & Cecile Andrews - but Luhrs' Simple Living Guide is the one I keep on hand for reference. And I reference some aspect of this book on a monthly basis; I wouldn't be without a copy in my home!
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