How to Live Well with Little

I don’t own my own house, nor do I own a car or designer clothes, perfumes, handbags, skincare and make-up.

And yet, I’m VERY HAPPY.

Much HAPPIER, CONTENT & GRATEFUL than when I had all that and more.

How have I accomplished this? By looking deep within.

You see, growing up, I was raised to believe that having more stuff meant more happiness. But in 2019, reality hit me hard (out of the blue). I realised that what I’d been taught was a lie. That’s when my journey to simplify life began. Since then, I’ve parted ways with about 90% of my belongings. And you know what? The more I let go, the clearer it became: I don’t need much to live well. All I need is the right mindset.

‘Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.’ 

~Seneca

Here’s what I’ve learned about living well with little:

1. You need very little to be happy. Simple food, modest shelter, a capsule wardrobe, make-up and skincare, a good book, a notebook, some meaningful work, and loved ones.
2. Want little, and you are not poor. You can have a lot of money and possessions, but if you always want more, you are poorer than the person who has little and wants nothing.
3. Focus on the present. Stop worrying about the future and holding onto the past. How much of your day is spent thinking about things other than where you are and what you’re doing, physically, at this moment? How often are we living as opposed to being stuck thinking about other things? Live now and you live fully.
4. Be happy with what you have and where you are. Too often we want to be somewhere else, doing something else, with other people than whoever we’re with right now, getting things other than what we already have. But where we are is great! Who we’re with (including just ourselves) is already perfect. What we have is enough. What we’re doing already is amazing.
5. Be grateful for the small pleasures in life. Berries, a square of dark chocolate, tea, a walk in the woodlands – simple pleasures that are so much better than rich desserts, sugary drinks, and fried foods if you learn to enjoy them fully. A good book borrowed from the library, a walk with a loved one in the park, the fine exertion of a short hard workout, the smile of a stranger, walking barefoot on the grass, a moment of quiet as the morning wakens and the world still rests. These little pleasures are living well, without needing much.
6. Be driven by joy and not fear. We are driven by the fear of missing out, the fear of change, or the fear of losing something. These are not good reasons to do things. Instead, do things because they give you or others joy. Let your work be driven not because you need to support a lifestyle and are afraid of changing it, but by the joy of doing something creative, meaningful, and valuable.
7. Practice compassion. Compassion for others creates loving, rewarding relationships. Compassion for yourself means forgiving yourself for past mistakes, treating yourself well (including eating well and exercising), and loving yourself as you are.
8. Forget about productivity and numbers. They don’t matter at all. If you are driven to do things to reach certain numbers (goals), you have probably lost sight of what’s important. If you are striving to be productive, you are filling your days with things just to be productive, which is a waste of a day. This day is a gift, and shouldn’t be crammed with every possible thing – spend time enjoying it and what you’re doing.

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