The fight to keep life simple

I try to keep my life as uncomplicated and as simple as I can, but it is not always easy in this modern world.  Even though I live in my own little bubble, sometimes it feels like the outside world keeps trying to pop it.  I have simplified my life by making it quieter, less materialistic, and with as little stress as possible.  I eat simply meals, have simple pleasures, and simple breaks away.  I don’t compete with anyone, and am happy living without a lot of material trappings.  It sounds easy, but it isn’t.  The busy rat race still encroaches on my life, almost daily, and I feel like I have to fight to keep life simple, sometimes.

An example is a place that I love to drive to, park up, and walk mindfully in nature, has now decided to start charging.  The machine doesn’t accept coins and so  I am supposed to download an app.  For  people like me that are happy with a simple, old phone, it is impossible.  Why is everything becoming so complicated?  Simple actions like trying to ring my car insurance on the phone leaves me tearing my hair out as all the different options of numbered buttons don’t seem to apply.  I am told to wait for an operator.  Ten minutes of listening to mind numbing music, and the line goes dead!  I go out into my garden for some peace with my plants but the sound of lawnmowers, drills, and house alarms spoil my peace.  This modern, busy life is still all around me.  I therefore have to find my own internal peace and tranquillity, do some meditation, or escape into the woods for some forest bathing.

A simple life sounds idyllic.  I get to spend time gardening, relaxing, walking in nature, and staying away from the stresses and strains of a fast paced life.  However, it takes a lot of effort to live on my small pension, spending as little as possible, and not be tempted to blow the emergency savings.  It involves resolve, growing my own food, foraging, preserving, and make staples like bread, yoghurt, and butter.  It involves planning, and looking for joy in the small things.  For other people it might involve completely different things as we all chose how simple we want to make our life.

Recently, newly elected politicians described people of my age, and not working, as lazy, and not contributing to the economy.  They want me to return to work, and the rat race that nearly destroyed me.  Not on your Nellie, the guilt tripping doesn’t work on me. They are not taking away the freedom that I have worked so hard for over the years.   Politicians have already taken 7 years of  my pension by raising the retirement age.  I am self sufficient, take no benefits, and still pay many taxes. Their description of me doesn’t feel fair, especially when I contribute to helping care for family, and volunteer in the community.

Every day I am bomb barded by emails, adverts, television programmes, trying to tempt me back into buying things, which could lead me back on to that hamster wheel. Family, neighbours, and friends also try to lure me back into the fast lane.  “Aren’t you bored?,”; “You could travel if you got a job,”; “Don’t you miss the luxuries?” and “You should monetise your website and make an income”. Some of them are almost ashamed and ridicule me, or are maybe jealous.  They had the same options but I think that they were not brave enough to give up what they think is a cosy life. It does take courage to make that leap.  I nearly wimped out of retiring early a number of times, and many people tried to talk me out of it. They didn’t understand that life is a lot cosier without bosses, dead lines, responsibilities, and key performance indicators.

The simple life isn’t just for us retired oldies, though,  Any one of any age can do it, even whilst working or bringing up a family.  It is just about learning to shed all the things that wear you down. and to bring some peace into your life.   I started doing that by growing my own food. I may be about For you it may involve spending less money so that you don’t have any debt, or don’t have to work overtime, or a second job.  It maybe freeing space in your life by decluttering.  Maybe it is about finding joy in every day things and being mindful and grateful for what you already have.  It is a journey for everyone, and you learn how to do it by taking fairy steps.  It is not easy stepping away from the norm as we have all been programmed to live busy lives, and spend. In my opinion that is what keeps us trapped. Some times it can feel uncomfortable being different, but the rewards are incredible.  Health and wellbeing improve, stress reduces, and there is an unexplainable feeling of freedom.

I have to remember that I  still live in the real world, this crazy world, and I can’t totally escape it.  I can, however, stay on the very periphery of this manic existence as much as I can,  I do feel that it is easier for us older generation as life was simpler when we were young, and so it doesn’t seem such a big leap to make.  There was less choice, and life was naturally slower and simpler with out all of the technology and expectations that there are today.  I think that is why so many of us over 60s are reducing our hours, or giving up work early, to live a simple life.  We have also learned from experience that status, money, and material possessions do not make any one happy in the long term.  I wish that I had known that before I got sucked into the scam of work hard, get an education, have a career, get promotions, earn more, buy more, and then you will be successful,  happy and content.  Nope.  I ended up burnt out, and heavily in debt.

I will strive to continue to live my simple life now, no matter how much the modern world contrives to suck me back in.  Life is short and I feel so grateful that I have had this last 10 years enjoying this life style. I have been able to find my authentic self again, spent precious time with loved ones, and had the time to support them.  I have learned to be mindful, rebuilt my relationship with mother nature, improved my health, and realised my worth. The alternative would have been to work until I drop and then be too ill to enjoy my few years of retirement. That is if I made it that far.  Many of my work contemporaries are not with us now, and have not been that lucky.

It took me a long time to realise that I didn’t have to have a small holding, or a log cabin to live a simple life.  I just had to shed the things that brought stress into my life, including some people.  If I could give some words of advice to my younger self now, it would be:-

• Live simply.
• Be frugal and don’t fall for consumerism.
• Stay out of debt (or pay it off if you have some).
• Be grateful for what you have.
• Be kind.
• Look after your health (physical and mental)
• Don’t stress about things that won’t matter in a few years time.
• Don’t try to change yourself to fit in.
• Don’t lose your relationship with nature.
• Life is not a competition.
• Do what makes you happy.

What advice would you give your younger self?