Welcome to Seeking Simplicity. I started this blog to catalog my efforts in leading a simpler, and more globally responsible lifestyle. It's so easy to get caught up in the commercialized way of life. Everyday our brains are slammed with images of what life "should" be like. The clothes we should be wearing, the house we should be living in, the car we should be driving, even the food we should be eating. And all of these images have one purpose...to make you spend your hard earned money on things that will never TRULY make you happy. I'm growing tired of that game.
There is so much more to life than having the latest "must have" thing, but we all fall victim to the hype sometimes. I'm on a mission to avoid consumerism where ever possible. I'm sick of letting big corporations brainwash me into buying the next big thing. There is so much beauty in buying things used, recycling, and repurposing. It's better for the environment, and better for your pocket book. And when you save money, you have more money to GIVE. You can use your hard-earned money to do amazing things that actually make a difference in the world.
This new outlook I have on life comes as a direct result from taking the trip of a lifetime. Traveling to Ethiopia to adopt our daughter. When you travel to a poor country (and I mean actually travel there...resorts and cruise destinations don't count) it's like you get a new set of eyes. You begin to see the world as a very different place. Here are thousands, millions of people living in mud huts, walking miles just for clean water, struggling to find enough work to support their families, struggling to SURVIVE. Then you realize that just $30 US would buy them enough food and supplies to last an entire month. $500 US would install a clean water well in their village, and they wouldn't have to send their children miles through the wilderness to fetch it. Instead, their kids could go to school, get and education, a job, go on to support their own families and serve others in their community. Suddenly that daily Starbucks mocha doesn't seem so important. I think I'll start brewing my own fair trade coffee at home. A $300 handbag? I think I'll pass. The $3 knock off I found at a yard sale suits me just fine.
Don't get me wrong, I have a lot to learn and a long way to go. But the first step to change is being able to see that there is a need for one. By changing small things in our daily routine, we can make a big difference. One of my most exciting new habits is buying things used. I've always loved yard sales, and more recently have become a huge fan of Craigslist. I love treasure hunting!
So grab your cup of fair trade coffee, sit back, and follow along with our journey to a simpler life.
There is so much more to life than having the latest "must have" thing, but we all fall victim to the hype sometimes. I'm on a mission to avoid consumerism where ever possible. I'm sick of letting big corporations brainwash me into buying the next big thing. There is so much beauty in buying things used, recycling, and repurposing. It's better for the environment, and better for your pocket book. And when you save money, you have more money to GIVE. You can use your hard-earned money to do amazing things that actually make a difference in the world.
This new outlook I have on life comes as a direct result from taking the trip of a lifetime. Traveling to Ethiopia to adopt our daughter. When you travel to a poor country (and I mean actually travel there...resorts and cruise destinations don't count) it's like you get a new set of eyes. You begin to see the world as a very different place. Here are thousands, millions of people living in mud huts, walking miles just for clean water, struggling to find enough work to support their families, struggling to SURVIVE. Then you realize that just $30 US would buy them enough food and supplies to last an entire month. $500 US would install a clean water well in their village, and they wouldn't have to send their children miles through the wilderness to fetch it. Instead, their kids could go to school, get and education, a job, go on to support their own families and serve others in their community. Suddenly that daily Starbucks mocha doesn't seem so important. I think I'll start brewing my own fair trade coffee at home. A $300 handbag? I think I'll pass. The $3 knock off I found at a yard sale suits me just fine.
Don't get me wrong, I have a lot to learn and a long way to go. But the first step to change is being able to see that there is a need for one. By changing small things in our daily routine, we can make a big difference. One of my most exciting new habits is buying things used. I've always loved yard sales, and more recently have become a huge fan of Craigslist. I love treasure hunting!
So grab your cup of fair trade coffee, sit back, and follow along with our journey to a simpler life.
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