Image by Andy Ciordia via FlickrJust what is simple living?
— the thing that is true for everybody – is that in order to truly live a simple life, you need to choose your priorities. Just like we don’t all have the same interests in music, or prefer the same climate, we can’t all live one pre-determined life and call that “simple living.”
My definition of simple living in the book (Organized Simplicity) requires an honest evaluation of all your priorities. And it asks you for a gut-check analysis to determine whether how you’re spending your time actually lines up with what’s truly important to you.
So now it is time to ask yourself: What are your priorities?
For me;
God is supposed to be my 1st priority
My children would have to follow as 2nd
My relationship with my husband should be 3rd (some would say 2nd)
My job (in order to provide for my kids)
My house, pets, car and extended family fall in line next.
My own hobbies and interests are last.
I use "supposed to" and "should be" because I do not live like my priorities would suggest.
I am guessing that most of you would have a similar list.
Think about what really matters to you and live toward fulfilling the needs of your priorities.
Living simply means cleaning out the clutter of your life!
Decide what you should not be wasting your time on:
If you feel more fulfilled in life by spending time writing and reading for example - put it in the proper perspective and take care of responsibilities first and you will enjoy the things that make you who you are so much more. Creating a daily pattern that follows your priorities will end up being the most fulfilling in the long run.
Further prioritization is needed to get straight what you really want out of life-
I am going to work on a list of my hobbies and joys and even prioritize them with goals for the future included.
Have a beautiful fall day and declutter your activities and surroundings.
I would have to place spouse at the same place as yourself. since Jesus describes marriage In Mark 10,8-9 as "and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh, so they are no longer two but one." and I would only place the children's needs above the rest of the families interest. I would also slide charity in above job. or right below it, that is a hard one. I love priorities, they are a good tool to use when making hard decisions. Thought provoking as always Mrs. Potter.
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of spouse; You can only be united if both parties want to be. But on another note, charity is something I consider to be a part of serving God so I put it as a big priority. I consider giving in general to be charity. I wish more people quantified marriage with unity in our society. God Bless you Gabe!
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