Let Go of Survival Mode!

Originally published May 2013

We live in tough times.  So, we do whatever we can, to keep the “security” of a steady income.

We’re in survival mode.

Survival mode justifies a dog-eat-dog mentality, that puts what we perceive to be necessary for our family’s survival, above the common good.

Survival mode justifies throwing innocent people under the bus, so that we might draw attention away from ourselves.

When we’re in survival mode, we compromise what we believe to be right, because it might cause us to lose that income.

We think we’re protecting our children.  We think we’re being sensible and doing what must be done.  We think we have no choice.

But we do have a choice.

The notion of survival mode is fake.

What happens if we lose that income?  Is our family really going to starve?  Do we not have it within ourselves to find a way, to meet the challenge?  Are we really in danger of not surviving?

And if we’re not being true to ourselves, if we’re deliberately doing what we know to be wrong, in order to “survive,” are we really living?  If we’re sacrificing our dreams and passions, for “security” that really isn’t there, is that a life?

We need to have more faith in ourselves, in our place, and our purpose.  We need to believe that we were put on this earth to do more than sell-out, be miserable, in order to have some level of material security.

The right thing to do is to do right things.

We need to believe that if we do what is right, the rest will be there.  That there is more to life than “earning a living” and looking out for number one.  It is NOT the human “race,” and we have a much larger role to play, than survival.

Are you working toward a simpler lifestyle?  Then I would love to share your story!  Please submit your original (not published anywhere else) story about how you are simplifying your life.  You don’t have to be an extreme minimalist–I would love to share stories of people who are just starting out of their journey.  If your story is selected to be featured, you will receive 50% off the the Simple Living Basics E-Course, after any other discounts.  Send your story to brosselit@gmail.com . 

New to Simple Living?  Then check out our Simple Living Basics e-course.  There are plenty of discounts available, and it will be an investment in a lower-stress more focused lifestyle!

The Four Stages of Minimalism

There seems to be kind of an evolution that takes place, once someone begins their journey to minimalism.  In fact, everybody seems to go through the same four stages. 

What stage are you in right now?

1.  Testing the waters.  This stage involves lots of fluctuating.  You’re intrigued by minimalism, but you’re not sure you can do it. People in this stage get defensive about their possessions, then try getting rid of a few of them.  In this stage, “minimalism” means living like a monk, with little to no possessions.  It’s lower-stress, but you’re not entirely sure it’s for you.

2.  Dogmatic minimalism.  This is where you try to have 100 possessions, or meet some other criteria.  You’re unsure of whether you actually qualify as a member of the group, so you definitely don’t want to be called a minimalist…yet…

3.  The “OK, what next?” stage.  You’ve been decluttering for awhile, and you are getting sick of having it as your only hobby.  At this point, you either bail, or start to pursue your passions.  Which you now have time to do, since you don’t have so much stuff.

4.  Time to do something crazy.  This is really the sum of everything.  By embracing minimalism, you have begun the process of questioning society.  If we don’t have all the possessions that we’re told we need, then how much else, that we’re told, simply isn’t true?  This is the stage where people fully embrace their passions.  Perhaps you’ll move into a tiny house with a homestead?  Or maybe a one-room apartment in the city?  Maybe you’ll start a hobby farmand produce all of your own food, or finally realize your dream of quitting your day job.  Or maybe living nomadically is more your style.  This is the stage where you ultimately claim your life as your own–and I hope to enter it soon!

 

Wherever you are in your minimalist journey, I hope it is a rewarding experience of growth and learning!

The Election is Over–Now Cast Your Vote That Really Counts!

You know how I feel about politics. This year, especially, I have been very burned out from some rather unfriendly political debating.

I realize that we vote because it is our chance to use our voice to bring some positive change to the world. It is our chance to help create the world of our dreams. It is important—it’s really the backbone of what makes our country work.

But I also realize that it has limitations.

You can’t legislate goodness. You can’t legislate a new mindset. You can’t legislate a change in values.

Just think—has a law ever really, REALLY changed your mind, about anything? Has a politician, no matter how charismatic, ever changed what you valued?

What has changed your mind? Probably another person. Probably a person, or many people, who were living their lives in a different way. People who were doing what they knew to be right. People who questioned the status quo—who showed you that the impossible was possible.

I believe that is the only thing that can change another’s mind. It’s really the only thing that can change the world.

It’s very timely that we have reconnected with the minimalist couple, who were living in Florida at the time, who led us to begin our journey into voluntary simplicity. We had a 10 minute visit with them. 10 minutes. And minimalism wasn’t even a topic we discussed. We had been told, prior, about their lifestyle. And what sold us was seeing them living it.

Over the course of 10 minutes, they changed our priorities, focus, and direction. And they did it without saying a word to try to persuade us to do anything. They led by example.

It’s by living our lives that we really cast our “votes.”

So, I have never revealed by political leanings on this blog. I have not told you which party I vote for, because, in the grand scheme of things, it is not the most important thing. But, I would like to share with you our lifestyle-based “political leanings.”

Here is our ballot:

We vote for a cleaner Earth. We’ll cast our vote by bringing reusable containers with us to the store, by refraining from buying disposable products, and by otherwise trying to decrease our waste production.

We vote for stronger communities. We will do this by stepping our of our comfort zone. We’ll talk to strangers. We’ll use community resources, rather than hiding in our house, surrounded by possessions.

We vote for peace. We will do this by not seeking revenge and for being understanding of others, with differing viewpoints.

We vote for debt-free living. We will do this by living simply, so that we can focus our resources on things that matter, rather than owing money because we try to “have it all.”

We vote for better health. We will do this by walking and bike riding, rather than driving everywhere. We will eat whole foods and try to avoid poisons as much as possible.

We vote for a greater awareness. We will do this by spending most of our time not plugged in to electronic devices. We will avoid television and spend time experiencing nature and experiencing each other.

We vote for a more meaningful life. We will do this by taking measures not to be swindled by corporations and popular culture, who tell us that we need to live differently. We won’t be taken in by the myth of the “American dream,” which is all about accumulating possessions at the expense of time, relationships, and joy. We will decide what our dream looks like, and it will not be based on advertisements, “reality shows,” or fashion magazines.

So, we’ve already been casting our votes. What is on your life-ballot?

Create Your Own Suburbanalist Lifestyle

You may have noticed that our lifestyle is a hybrid. We’re almost completely between urban minimalism and homesteading, with some just-plain crunchiness thrown in. We noticed this when we began researching off-the-grid living and saw that the other people doing it–and there are quite a few–are almost exclusively homesteaders. We have not found a single OTG house in a subdivision. That led us to coin the term “suburbanalism,” to describe our lifestyle–minimalism and green living in the suburbs!

So, let’s break it down, so you can see what ideas we have borrowed from where, and why we borrowed them. Then, you can decide which ideas work for you and your family!

The crunchiness definitely came first. “Crunchy” (for those who don’t know) refers to “crunchy granola,” and it basically means natural/green living. We got started with this kind of lifestyle when we decided to breastfeed and use cloth diapers. My Internet research of these topics led me to attachment parenting, then natural parenting. Living green is really our first priority. Here are some great resources on “crunchy” living:

Mothering
Michigan Natural Parenting
Natural Parenting Tips
Kelly Mom

Next, we merged this with minimalism. We wanted to own as few possessions as possible, after meeting this couple. After a low-stress half of a summer on the boat, we pared down even more. It is crunchiness that leads us to use cast iron pans instead of Teflon; it is minimalism that leads us to own only two of them. Here are some great resources on minimalism:

Becoming Minimalist
Minimalist 4 Life
Everyday Minimalist
Minimalist Living in a Modern World

Many extreme minimalists rely on eating out, or at least eating more processed foods, in order to not require as much in their kitchen. This is where we deviate. Homesteaders value self-sufficiency; there is much wrong with our nation’s food supply, and the best way to avoid the problems it causes is to eat from a different food supply. Homesteading has led us to bake our own bread, cook as much as possible from scratch, home brew, and work towards getting off the grid. We only deviate from this philosophy in the most obvious way; we don’t have a homestead! While we would love to raise animals and grow our own food, we love being able to leave our home even more. (Face it, having chickens on Moonraker just wouldn’t work!). So, we rely on local farmers to provide us with our food. Here are some resources on homesteading:

Homesteading Today
Homestead.org
Frugal Homesteading
Modern Homesteading

So, do some reading on your own, but don’t feel like you have to subscribe to a philosophy in its entirety. Pick and choose and find what works best for your family!