![\"SimplifyingYourLife\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/121\/2015\/03\/SimplifyingYourLife-e1426083212681.jpg\")
<\/a>The following is the text of the Christopher News Note \u201cSimplifying Your Life\u201d (which was written by a freelancer). If you\u2019d like a pdf or hard copy, see the end of this post:<\/p>\n\u201cJesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what You want me to be and becoming that person.\u201d
\n\u2014St. Th\u00e9r\u00e8se of Lisieux
\n<\/em>
\nThese words by the beloved saint may be over 100 years old, yet they challenge those of us in the modern world to take a fresh look at our lives \u2013 or more precisely, they challenge us to explore ways that we can simplify our lives.<\/p>\nPursuing simple living is counter-cultural in a society that often seems all too focused on urging us to want more of everything. Yet for spiritual, ecological, and economic reasons, many people hope that cutting back on consumption will help reduce their personal stress levels, improve their relationship with God, and even promote justice in the world at large. Simple living, therefore, is not just a personal project, but a communal effort that embodies the statement by Mahatma Gandhi: \u201cWe must live simply that others may simply live.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clearing the Clutter<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cThe ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.\u201d
\n\u2014Hans Hofmann <\/em><\/p>\nFor many, the first step to living simply is to start small. When Susan Vogt decided to clear her home of clutter, she challenged herself to get rid of one item a day during the Lenten season. She hoped to simplify her space by donating unneeded items to those in need. The experiment was fruitful and fulfilling in both a spiritual and practical sense, so she chose to continue the effort for a full year. She described the journey in her book \u201cBlessed by Less: Clearing Your Life of Clutter by Living Lightly.\u201d <\/p>\n
Vogt says the process has helped her to obtain a better balance in her life, and to recognize that while she can\u2019t give to the point of destitution, neither can she justify holding on to items that could be useful to someone else: \u201cI have become more attuned to what is really important in life and what things I had been hanging on to or worrying about that I could let go of.\u201d In addition, she says, \u201cIt was a reminder of my need to clean out the interior, my inner self, as well. On the outside I will look the same, but it\u2019s important to consider what\u2019s going on inside. It\u2019s about changing one\u2019s attitude. I learned that my worth and importance are not dependent on what I own or even how I look or feel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simplicity and Community<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cIn character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.\u201d
\n\u2014Henry Wadsworth Longfellow<\/em><\/p>\nFor some, at least a partial answer to the search for simplicity lies in the formation of community.
\nLuke Hansen\u2019s first experience with living simply occurred in San Jose, California, when, as a layman, he did a stint with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, which serves the poor and marginalized. During that time, he and his fellow volunteers ate food mostly from the local food pantry. And though many people in the area used their cars to commute, most of the individuals that Hansen served through his work took the bus\u2014so he took the bus as well. \u201cThere is an inconvenience to it,\u201d he says. \u201cBut it also creates more space to think, to say, \u2018Ok, I have time to pray and I\u2019m sharing life with people that I work with.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n
Hansen\u2019s firsthand experience with simple living stuck with him, so he chose to join the Society of Jesus in order to continue down that road. After becoming a Jesuit priest, Father Hansen was given $75 a month in spending money, which meant making hard choices about what to buy. But in some ways, things got easier. \u201cThere were 22 men in the novitiate, we shared everything in common, and we were helped by generous benefactors,\u201d he says. \u201cI had more than enough, even though I couldn\u2019t claim any of it as mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Father Hansen also realized that it was possible to put too much focus on counting every penny, to become obsessed with how little he had rather than how much. Being part of a Jesuit community helped him learn to accept the generosity of others. Yet, he remains conscious of what he buys and how much he spends. \u201cI do try to live frugally; it makes things easier,\u201d Father Hansen says. \u201cIn doing less and in spending less, I require less, and it creates more time for prayer and community. It\u2019s humanizing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Life Feels More Connected<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cWhat we would like to do is change the world\u2014 make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended them to do.\u201d
\n\u2014Dorothy Day<\/em><\/p>\nEric Anglada has found a way to disconnect from the technology and distractions of modern life by settling on a Catholic Worker farm in Iowa. He was first drawn to the Catholic Worker movement because of its holistic vision. \u201cIt draws on the works of mercy and caring for the poor and the marginalized, and connects that to nonviolence and care for creation,\u201d he says. And simple living is one of the things that holds all of the pieces of the Catholic Worker together. Anglada has lived on the farm for six years. <\/p>\n
His community consists of 14 people and three households\u2014 eight adults and six children. He shares a house with his wife and another family. While Catholic Worker Houses in inner cities often serve as homes of hospitality for those in need, the farms tend to focus on agriculture and can accommodate families. By growing their own food instead of buying it, the community expresses solidarity with migrant farm workers and a desire to care for creation and trying to live more justly. <\/p>\n
Without many of the trappings of modern society, Anglada says he is able to live more intentionally: \u201cIt opens up space to not be so frantic and harried and busy.\u201d The community starts the day together with a reading from the Gospel or from a saint, followed by 20 minutes of silence, intercessions and then closing prayer. The common prayer, he says, sets the tone for the day: \u201cWe infuse our daily labors with more spiritual meaning. Life feels more connected here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Comfort in an Anxious World<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cHe who possesses God lacks nothing: God alone suffices.\u201d \u2014St. Teresa of \u00c1vila<\/em><\/p>\nPaula Huston has been working to connect people with simple living for two decades. She\u2019s written several books on living the good life\u2014and she\u2019s been practicing what she preaches. She and her husband moved from a large home to a 920- square-foot house in southern California, where she can grow and preserve her own food. They also do their own repairs and maintenance. <\/p>\n
Her book \u201cSimplifying the Soul\u201d offers spiritual meditations and tips on how one might renew and declutter life in the areas of space, money, the body, the mind, one\u2019s schedule, relationships, and prayer. Her goal in focusing on these areas is to get at the internal sources of want. \u201cThese are legitimate human desires,\u201d she says. \u201cThese things represent security in the face of uncertainty. They represent status in a society that is competitive and success-oriented. They also represent freedom of choice, which is huge for Americans.\u201d <\/p>\n
While some people believe that money is the key to freedom, Huston suggests that we are all actually seeking \u201ccomfort in an anxious world.\u201d Instead of trying to find meaning by acquiring possessions, we need to show people other possibilities. \u201cThere\u2019s a huge stimulation of desire through advertising and the media in general,\u201d Huston says. \u201cYet we don\u2019t see many people who are consciously living against the grain.\u201d She hopes to help reintroduce people to the idea of framing the good life within ancient concepts \u2014 \u201cnot as power-seeking and status-seeking, but as a life of self-control and virtue.\u201d <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a concept she learned from a group of monks living as hermits in California. Invited by a friend to join her on a visit to their hermitage, Huston \u2014 who was born into a Lutheran family, but was an atheist at this time \u2014 found she was fascinated with the order\u2019s alternative lifestyle. \u201cI would feel a new calm and peace,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I recognized early on that their lifestyle wasn\u2019t just an escape to a kind of fantasy land. It was something they believed and consciously practiced, and that could be available to a person like me.\u201d <\/p>\n
This visit began not only her return to Christianity, but her embrace of the Catholic Church. \u201cThere\u2019s a natural connection between simplicity and humility,\u201d Huston says. \u201cHumility means looking at the self realistically. It is the ability to look in the mirror and see who is there and to calm the stormy need for these things that are outside symbols of our own identity.\u201d <\/p>\n
Huston adds that possessions don\u2019t take away our anxiety or stress, but can instead add to them: \u201cSimplicity is that path to genuine freedom. You start to think of how little you need, instead of how much. You start to clear mental and physical space on purpose.\u201d <\/p>\n
This is something anyone can do, she concludes. The initial effort can be something as small as growing a pot of herbs on a windowsill so you can use them as ingredients in a home-cooked meal. Simplifying allows you to \u201cfeel like you have more to say about how your time and money are spent. The business of simplifying has opened up amazing things in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
We cannot have outer simplicity in our homes and schedules without inner simplicity. And, if we are at peace inside, if we lean on and learn to trust God for our needs, our outer lives will reflect that.<\/p>\n
We can begin to seek this balance from the outside in or from the inside out. If we clean up our outer clutter, we will become less scattered and chaotic inside. The reverse is also true. If we set aside time for God first thing in the morning as Jesus did, we\u2019ll find more energy for simplifying our environments. We\u2019ll also make better choices about how we spend our time, money, and energy.
\n\u2013 Susan K. Rowland<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nTo receive a pdf or mailed copy of \u201cSimplifying Your Life,\u201d email your request to radio@christophers.org<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The following is the text of the Christopher News Note \u201cSimplifying Your Life\u201d (which was written by a freelancer). If you\u2019d like a pdf or hard copy, see the end of this post: \u201cJesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what You want me to be and becoming that person.\u201d \u2014St. Th\u00e9r\u00e8se of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":488,"featured_media":6062,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,44,17,40,32,1],"tags":[93,99,113,95,111,106],"class_list":["post-6061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible","category-catholic","category-christopher-news-notes","category-inspiration","category-prayer","category-uncategorized","tag-bible","tag-books","tag-catholic","tag-christopher-news-notes","tag-inspiration","tag-prayer"],"yoast_head":"\n
Simplifying Your Life and Finding Comfort in an Anxious World<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The following is the text of the Christopher News Note \u201cSimplifying Your Life\u201d (which was written by a freelancer). If you\u2019d like a pdf or hard copy, see\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Simplifying Your Life and Finding Comfort in an Anxious World\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The following is the text of the Christopher News Note \u201cSimplifying Your Life\u201d (which was written by a freelancer). If you\u2019d like a pdf or hard copy, see\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Christopher Closeup\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-03-11T14:23:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/121\/2015\/03\/SimplifyingYourLife-e1426083212681.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"225\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"513\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tony Rossi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tony Rossi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/\",\"name\":\"Simplifying Your Life and Finding Comfort in an Anxious World\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-03-11T14:23:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-03-11T14:23:11+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/#\/schema\/person\/9215d33862959dfe2334a97a802ebf1d\"},\"description\":\"The following is the text of the Christopher News Note \u201cSimplifying Your Life\u201d (which was written by a freelancer). If you\u2019d like a pdf or hard copy, see\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Simplifying Your Life and Finding Comfort in an Anxious World\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/\",\"name\":\"Christopher Closeup\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/#\/schema\/person\/9215d33862959dfe2334a97a802ebf1d\",\"name\":\"Tony Rossi\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ef58b23d79989facf5779819377620d3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ef58b23d79989facf5779819377620d3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Tony Rossi\"},\"description\":\"After graduating from St. John's University in New York with degrees in Communications and English, Tony Rossi found a job at the Catholic media organization, The Christophers, that allowed him to indulge his interest in religion, media, and pop culture. He served as The Christophers' TV producer for 11 years, and is currently the host and producer of the organization's radio show\/podcast Christopher Closeup, writer and editor of their syndicated Light One Candle column, and producer\/scriptwriter of the annual Christopher Awards ceremony.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/author\/tonyrossi\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Simplifying Your Life and Finding Comfort in an Anxious World","description":"The following is the text of the Christopher News Note \u201cSimplifying Your Life\u201d (which was written by a freelancer). If you\u2019d like a pdf or hard copy, see","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Simplifying Your Life and Finding Comfort in an Anxious World","og_description":"The following is the text of the Christopher News Note \u201cSimplifying Your Life\u201d (which was written by a freelancer). If you\u2019d like a pdf or hard copy, see","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/","og_site_name":"Christopher Closeup","article_published_time":"2015-03-11T14:23:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":225,"height":513,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/121\/2015\/03\/SimplifyingYourLife-e1426083212681.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Tony Rossi","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Tony Rossi","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/","name":"Simplifying Your Life and Finding Comfort in an Anxious World","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/#website"},"datePublished":"2015-03-11T14:23:11+00:00","dateModified":"2015-03-11T14:23:11+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/#\/schema\/person\/9215d33862959dfe2334a97a802ebf1d"},"description":"The following is the text of the Christopher News Note \u201cSimplifying Your Life\u201d (which was written by a freelancer). If you\u2019d like a pdf or hard copy, see","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2015\/03\/simplifying-your-life-and-finding-comfort-in-an-anxious-world\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Simplifying Your Life and Finding Comfort in an Anxious World"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/","name":"Christopher Closeup","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/#\/schema\/person\/9215d33862959dfe2334a97a802ebf1d","name":"Tony Rossi","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ef58b23d79989facf5779819377620d3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ef58b23d79989facf5779819377620d3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Tony Rossi"},"description":"After graduating from St. John's University in New York with degrees in Communications and English, Tony Rossi found a job at the Catholic media organization, The Christophers, that allowed him to indulge his interest in religion, media, and pop culture. He served as The Christophers' TV producer for 11 years, and is currently the host and producer of the organization's radio show\/podcast Christopher Closeup, writer and editor of their syndicated Light One Candle column, and producer\/scriptwriter of the annual Christopher Awards ceremony.","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/author\/tonyrossi\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/488"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6061\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}