Simplicity And The Pursuit of Happiness

A young man is lazily lying on the beach, his fishing rod propped on the sand, lounging in the warmth of the afternoon sun and enjoying the crisp salty sea breeze while dreaming of a prospect of a hearty catch of fish.
Along came an elder businessman, who happen to pass by the beach to relieve himself of the days stress and found the young man enjoying himself lazily.
He approached the young man to find out why he is wasting his time there instead of working hard for a living.
"You cannot catch a fish that way! You should be working very hard for a living than just lying there young man!"
The young man just looked up the older man and smiling, "Then what would my reward be?"
"Well, you can get bigger nets and then you can catch more fish." The old man said.
"And what will my reward be?"
Starting to get irritated, the old man answered, "You can earn a lot of money to buy a boat so you can catch more fish!"
"My reward would then be what?"
The old man is starting to feel his blood coming up to his face, "So you can buy bigger boats and hire people to wok for you in catching more fish then!"
The young man, still smiling answered, "So therefore my reward would be?"
Angrily, the old man said, "Don't you understand you can be so rich that you don't have to work anymore, you will have a fleet of boats and lots of people working for you, then you can have all the time in the world to lie on the beach and enjoy yourself."
And the young man happily replied, "What do you think I am doing now?"

A life of simplicity can be beautiful, and it calls to those who are willing to listen. An invitation to live our life we are meant to live, not the life maybe our next door neighbor is trying hard to achieve.To simplify our life is to pursue the things we value the most, not the worth of the giant billboards, glossy magazines and enticing TV advertisements. It beckons us to remove distractions the keeps us from living and enjoying our life to the fullest.
Because the moment we stop living our lives pursuing the world's definition of happiness, we start to be aware of the choice to feel happiness that has been right in front of us all along.

Simplicity And The Heart

There is a simple thought that we should learn about, that there is joy in pursuing less. Through it all, I have discovered that this thought appeals and resounds in the heart. Some people may argue with me and prove I am wrong, but I have come to an understanding that simplicity, the intentional promotion of the things I most value and the removal of anything that deviate me from it, is a message of invitation that is to appreciated, desired and should be accepted when offered.

Bottom line, simplicity adheres to the heart because, our heart knows that possessions does not mean joy. Happiness can never be found in having more, it is found in the pursuit of our lasting passions. Our heart knows freedom when we live it. Possessions burden us, far more than we think. Our heart longs to be free and to be only tied to things of true worth.

Our heart longs for financial sense. No one lives for the sake of having large amounts of debts. Our souls desire to live within means and not as a slave to credits. To be simple means financial freedom. 

Our heart knows what is true. Many live a lie, running after things of limited nature. Society, culture and advertisement promise lasting enjoyment in bigger homes, fancier cars and in season clothing. But lasting fulfillment can never be found in short-lived pursuits. Our heart knows when it is being faked. Most of the time we acquire things to put on a facade to act like we are successful, famous, put together and all figured out. But deep inside we know we are not. And more so, in the deepest part we long to stop pretending and be real and vulnerable. 

Our heart desires to follow a dream, and pursue a passion. I am sure nobody would say, or very few would say that owning something is their GREATEST desire. I think most will say that they long to find love, meaning and live bigger lives than themselves. Simplicity gives the means for our heart to accomplish its greatest desires. Out heart finds happiness in lasting worth. What we see are mostly temporary and what we cannot are eternal. Our souls would want to live for the things that truly matter by finding joy in the invisible, lasting things that cannot be bought with money.

Out heart longs for the higher self. Contentment, generosity, gratitude and self control. I would like my life to be remembered and described with those words and owning less allows more opportunities for these positive habits to shine through.

However, we have been fooled. As a collective society, we have fallen to the lie that there is greater joy in having more. But we all know that is not true, right? Our heart has been fighting to have less of the things that  of no value all the while. 

It's time we stop running after empty pursuits and start listening to our heart that knows who we are best instead.