Simplicity

There is so much division in our world. Politics divide us. Religion divides us. Throw in a pandemic or a social crisis, and the division comes roaring to the surface. The fissures even emerge in the places where we most expect unity, like our families and our spiritual communities.

 I would like to propose a few simple principles to center our lives around that can not only improve our personal well-being, but can also unite us, both in our intimate circles, and our larger society.

 These principles are borrowed from the Quakers, a religious group who talks about them as their “testimonies.” To help make them memorable, they use the acrostic “SPICES.” Each word that makes up these SPICES (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship) can be a call to greater individual well-being, while at the same time bringing us together with each other.

 In a series of articles, I will reflect on each of these SPICES and the impact they can make for us. The first testimony is “Simplicity.”

 Moving from one home to another has taught me an important lesson: not to move! At least you would think it would. Since leaving my childhood home for college I have lived in Ohio, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. Adding to it, I have lived in multiple homes in some of those places. Although I apparently forget how hard moving is, since I keep doing it, one thing it has taught me is to travel more lightly. I am careful not to keep things that I don’t need. I have embraced simplicity.

 It has been said that the more stuff you have, the more problems you have. My life has proved it so. So these days when I buy a new shirt, or a new pair of shoes, I make it a point to get rid of one of the same immediately. I throw it away or give it away. I try to apply this principle with all my material possessions. If I acquire a new item, I get rid of one of the same items. This has made my life easier, and has limited the amount of stuff I have to move as well.

 The principle of simplicity can also be more widely applied. In high school I was the editor of the school newspaper. As we designed the layouts for each page, one of the keys to enhancing readability was leaving enough white space around the content. Though it may seem counterintuitive, the more margin we left on the page, the more likely it was that our readers would engage the content. As the years have gone by, I have found that to be true of my life as well. The more “white space” I leave on the pages of my life, the more meaningfully engaged I am with life’s content.

 So I am now intentional about leaving space in each area of my life – not just my clothing closet. In my weekly schedule, I try to leave spaces that are not fully scheduled. In my annual calendar, I leave a few weeks when I can truly recreate. I also strive for margin in my financial budget, living in such a way that income exceeds expenses. This free space leaves me with room to breathe. Simplicity really does improve my life.

 Simplicity is not just a value for improving my own quality of life. I believe it also can unite us. The simpler my schedule and budget, the more available I am to share my time and resources with those around me. I can let go of the constant striving to achieve more, do more, and have more. It becomes easier to share the world with those around me when I am content with what I have, and even desire to let go of some what I already have.

 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will eat. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?