“Simplicity means taking charge of a life that is too busy, too stressed, and too fragmented. An uncluttered simplicity means cutting back on trivial distractions, both material and non-material, and focusing on the essentials - whatever those may be for each of our unique lives.” MayMeanCuttingMaterialsEssentialsUniqueBusySimplicityDistractionStressedToo BusyFragmentedTaking ChargeUnique Life Author:Duane Elgin
“An elegant simplicity is an understated, organic aesthetic that contrasts with the excess of consumerist lifestyles. Drawing from influences ranging from Zen to the Quakers, it celebrates natural materials and clean, functional expressions, such as are found in many of the hand-made arts and crafts from this community.” ArtMadeHandsFoundCommunityNaturalInfluenceExpressionMaterialsCleanSimplicityDrawingLifestyleCelebrateCraftsExcessAestheticContrastElegantQuakerUnderstatedArts And CraftsNatural Materials Author:Duane Elgin
“Only after people express their anger and sadness over the broken dreams of material prosperity will they turn to the task of building a sustainable economy.” PeopleDreamTurnsEconomySadnessBuildingMaterialsBrokenTasksProsperityBroken Dreams Author:Duane Elgin
“As my spiritual growth expanded and developed, voluntary simplicity was a natural outgrowth. I came to realize the cost of material accumulation was too high and offered fewer and fewer real rewards, psychological and spiritual.” RealSpiritualGrowthRealizingNaturalSimpleMaterialsCostRewardsSimplicityPsychologicalSpiritual GrowthFewerAccumulationSimple Living Author:Duane Elgin
“If the material consumption of a fraction of humanity is already harming the planet, is there an alternative path that enables all of humanity to live more lightly upon the Earth while experiencing a higher quality of life?” IfsEarthHumanityQualityPathPlanetsMaterialsHigherAlternativesConsumptionQuality Of LifeFractions Book:Voluntary Simplicity Second Revised Edition: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich Source: Voluntary Simplicity Second Revised Edition: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich
“When a person's primary objective is to maximize material pleasures while minimizing discomforts, then life becomes a constant process of "pushing" (trying to push away from discomforts) and "grabbing" (trying to acquire or hold on to that which gives pleasure). With the loss of inner balance that accompanies a habitual "pushing and grabbing" approach to life, a deeper pain ensues-that of becoming aware of the ultimate unsatisfactoriness of the pleasure-seeking/pain-avoiding process itself.” GivingTryingPersonsPainProcessLossPleasureMaterialsBecomingBalanceApproachUltimateConstantSeekingDeeperObjectivesPrimariesAcquirePushingMaterialismAvoidingDiscomfortAccompanyHabitualGrabbingMinimizingPleasure Seeking Author:Duane Elgin
