practice plain living and simplicity

These days I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to do after I finish my degree. I have been exploring several possibilities, the traditional “lets stay on the same track and find a job at the university (more teaching and research)”, the dreamy “how fun it would be to plan parks and gardens (I need more practice in this, though), or the consumer/capitalistic “lets get out there and earn load of dough (in industries and companies)”. Now I have a new idea, the idealistic “lets help out society (or individuals) by taking care of the sick and the dying”. I guess it might sound morbid first hand but at least sounds like a rewarding and fulfilling job.

At the same time, in the book on Plain living and Simplicity (english) I came across an interesting section on a “leading”. I guess I would also call it a “calling”. After that there was a step called “discernment” which involved getting a halfdozen close friends to ask detailed questions, but without giving advice or judgement, on the true motives to follow the leading. Hmm, I’m just wondering how to proceed.

I’m reading another book (L’art de la Simplicité by Dominique Loreau in french) on the art of simplicity. The author has lived around Europe and the United States and she finally settled in Japan and has been living there for the past 23 years. Her book is about the theme “Less is more”.

She talks about posessions and how they “posess us”. She talks of our relationship to food, our body and the immediate surrounding environment. She gives some simple beauty tips like get rid of all the creams and clutter in the bath room and just use one oil like avocado oil (or another oil that suits you) to moisturize the skin, the hair, the nails and as a makeup remover. She writes of emptying the house of all the useless things that we never use (or hardly), things we’ve not touched for over a year for example. Less things also means less things to dust, to take care of, to worry about.

That is how “less means more” or “live better (more meaningful) with less.” The book is a real eye opener in the western world of abundance, and over-abundance, that we live in.

Now I’ve started reading it and its very inspiring. I think I’ll post a few excerpts here.

I ordered a book on this goal and I’m waiting for it to arrive!!! Just can’t wait to start reading it!