I have often been told that the simple things in life make us happy. I think there is truth in that statement. Happiness for me is contentment, keeping life simple and focussing on my goals.

What It Means for Me to Be Content

Not wanting more and being happy with what I have is what contentment is to me. There are lots of things I think about that I might want, but I do not always have the money or the skills to achieve them. People will say, well why don’t you go out and gain the finances and the skills, which I could do, but the truth is, having lots of things makes life more complicated. Simplicity is better for me, and I don’t mean emptying my house of what I already have, but just not having that constant need for something else unless it is something I really need and value.

The Reasons Why I prefer Life to Be Simple

• The more I want, the more I am less content with what I have.
• Expecting less and just having the necessities that I need prevents creating more frustration with what I don’t have.
• When I have less, I have nothing to lose.
• I don’t compare myself to others.
• I know who I really am.
• People like me for who I am, not for what I can give them.
• I can spend time in my own thoughts and not spend it working, achieving something that is unnecessary.
• The best things in life are free or very cheap.
• I can cut back on expenses that are unnecessary.
• I learn to be grateful.
• I create ‘the glass half full’ rather than ‘the glass half empty’ attitude.

Image by Anja from Pixabay – colour adjustments and text overlay by Louise.

I Still Have Goals

Just because I like to live life simply, it does not mean I don’t have goals. I have goals for things I want to achieve, such as writing goals, practice goals for piano and flute, and reading so I can learn. I also write them down, so I am more likely to achieve them.

Goals are different for everyone. However, for me, if it causes stress, I avoid it because I want to protect my health. I can’t always avoid stressful situations, but I can reduce the stress as much as possible.

It has taken a lot of effort to change my mindset, but over time I have learned to achieve it.

Final Thoughts

I think about my life and align it with my values. Everyone has different goals and what they want out of life. I know that not everyone is happy with simplicity, but it is important for us to look at our goals and make sure they are something we are doing for ourselves, not others, and we value what we are doing.

It is difficult as we live in a society that teaches us we need to have lots of things to be happy, but the reality is, this isn’t true.