Voluntary Simplicity considers the impact of consumer behavior and encourages buying, using and having less but putting it into practice does not mean living in deprivation and poverty. Rather, it is about living an examined life - asking yourself what do I really need and what is mere clutter. Living with what you have determined is important, or "enough," for you, discarding the rest. Indeed it is a chosen way of living for the betterment of our own lives and our planet.
We all know about the 3 R's - reduce, reuse, recycle. Many of us are very good at recycling and our local governments are making that somewhat easier. We may even think that recycling is all that we need to do. But on examination through the vision of Voluntary Simplicity, we may find that there is more we can do to live with less.

Evers says: "Unlike poverty, which decreases life choices, Voluntary Simplicity brings an awareness of the wide choices available for personal and collective fulfillment."

Evers began to question her own consumerism and want of more things as compared to actual need when forced to downsize in 1980's. She began a self examination and was eventually drawn to a retreat centre in Manitoba and Mark Burch, a dedicated practitioner. Leading a simpler life has evolved over the years to today: she does not own or drive a car; she walks, cycles or uses public transportation. Where she lives is determined by those factors as well as proximity to family. Her simple lifestyle is evident in her home that is furnished with mostly second hand furniture and while minimalist is attractive and comfortable, providing everything she needs.

According to Evers twenty percent of the world's population use a staggering eighty percent of its resources. Most of us are part of that problem.

Evers advises to start small in making changes. Examine clothes closets, kitchen cupboards and storage areas. The task may seem overwhelming so do one shelf or one section of a closet at a time if necessary. Sort the items and decide what to keep, what to recycle and what to discard. Remember that others can benefit from your discards. Thrift stores will happily take your donations, which are then sold and the funds are in turn donated to a worthy cause. For example the Rutland Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop was able to donate $250,000.00 this year to the Kelowna General Hospital selling cast-offs.

Living with mindfulness also includes clearing one's calendar of "clutter" - the trivial activities that sap your time and energy. Use that found time for more satisfying pursuits. Remember that it is a life long process. Evers says: "Begin where you are and keep at it".
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Contact the Society for Learning in Retirement for course information at: (250) 762-3989 Ext. 125, e mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit the website at www.slrkelowna.ca.

Donna Duke, Act III    

Further Reading:                                                                                                                            
The Garden Of Simplicity
By Duane Elgin, author of Voluntary Simplicity
Copyright © 2000, 2003 by Duane Elgin. Reprinted with permission.
Simplicity of living is not a new idea. It has deep roots in history and finds expression in all of the world's wisdom traditions. More than two thousand years ago, in the same historical period that Christians were saying "Give me neither poverty nor wealth," (Proverbs 30:8), the Taoists were asserting "He who knows he has enough is rich" (Lao Tzu), Plato and Aristotle were proclaiming the importance of the "golden mean" of a path through life with neither excess nor deficit, and the Buddhists were encouraging a "middle way" between poverty and mindless accumulation. Clearly, the simple life is not a new social invention. What is new are the radically changing ecological, social, and psycho-spiritual circumstances of the modern world.