Comments on: Make it Happen Monday: The Simple Life

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:13:00 +0000

You’re so right, Ally. Simplicity isn’t for everyone and it’s a choice that has to be made. Society makes some things in life way too simple and for some reason it actually makes life more complex. Strange, but true.

By: Ally

Ally — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:55:00 +0000

Well said. I struggle with this in my head a lot. In our society the simple life can become something you long for but find hard to achieve. Though I do think it eventually comes down to choices, for sure. They just aren’t always easy!

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Awesome…thanks Eric. You are so right about the Caribbean and also about perception. Living the simple life is not all about location. You’re also right about having simplicity in some ways can also make things more complex in others. One example I was just thinking about is having a bike as our main source of transportation for our Family. It will make things so simple in so many ways, but then when it comes to certain things it will make things more complex as well. The battle continues to a life of more simplicity.

By: Trimon29

Trimon29 — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:15:00 +0000

Love this post. And that is kinda redundant because I love all of yours, but it gets to the heart of something we have talk about before. (I also really like Joels Comments below.
Pamela and I both have held VP jobs at a huge corporation, huge income, and were horribly unhappy. Part of our commitment to each other was to look for ways to simplify our lives, live with less trappings, do more instead of “own” more. For us, and also to try to be an example to our kids about this distortion of what is required to be “happy”. (I am afraid with my older kids this battle has been lost, however we will continue to try!). I am happier than I have ever been, and we continue to drive towards a goal of getting things even far more simple.

I also wanted to comment about the notion that living in the Caribbean is automatically simpler, that also is a perception driven by media images etc. Having lived on a Caribbean islands for over 40 years (born there) my experience has been that in many ways it is far more difficult and complicated to live there than in Houston. My point really is this: It more about you , your values, who you are with and the choices you make, than WHERE you are.

By: Clive Chapman

Clive Chapman — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:46:00 +0000

“Anarchist” in the true sense of the word actually means living without rules because you’re “good” enough not to need them. The term “anarchist” as we think of it today kind of got taken over in England in the 19th Century by pseudo revolutionaries who were intent on changing the sytem by violence. A little known piece of my history countries history actually.

So Darryl, you’re right and they’re wrong! A true anarchist is really living the Utopean dream!

By the way, great post on so many levels.

By: Heather H

Heather H — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:05:00 +0000

Well said Darryl!! I would LOVE to be a beach bum in the Caribbean…maybe someday. For now, I’m kinda stuck on the hamster wheel, but making the best of it

By: Paula Gillingham Bender

Paula Gillingham Bender — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:36:00 +0000

I like the idea of simplification, too. Hard to get completely off the hamster wheel, though.

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:14:00 +0000

I appreciate it, Dave. I wasn’t going to add this, but here it goes…..Kid Rock used to eat Mac and Cheese and drink Budweiser before he was famous because it brought him happiness. Now that he’s famous, he still eats Mac and Cheese and drinks Budweiser. Of course he’s got the money to buy whatever he wants now, but the simplicity of him still relishes in what makes him happy.

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:12:00 +0000

I always know that I did something right when I get a comment from you, Kelly. Thanks for checking out today’s post and for leaving your mighty fine comment. Keep on being thankful for the beauty that surrounds you.

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:12:00 +0000

Thanks Sweetheart, you and I will work together at making simplicity the answer to even greater happiness and satisfaction.