When I asked about your definition of simplicity, many readers included the importance of having less, but enjoying more. When it comes to actually giving stuff up, though, it can be easier said than done. In that spirit, here are five ways you can make it easy to enjoy a life with less stuff.
Use what you do have. Go through your music collection and make a playlist of forgotten favorites. (I love doing this!) Pull a favorite book off the shelf and give it another read. Pull a passed-down antique out of the closet and give it a place of honor. Using and enjoying what you do have gives you a feeling of abundance that’s incredibly uplifting.
Keep a list of free and fun things to do. You could take a photographic walk, teach the dog a new trick, snuggle with a loved one, incite a family wrestling match, write bad rhyming poetry, take a nap, or dance to the radio. The more items you can dream up, the more fun you have at your fingertips.
Start seeing empty spaces as packed with freedom. Celebrate every empty shelf, bare wall, and exposed square foot of flooring as the ultimate victory. If freedom equals happiness (or at least a big component of it), then not having something just brings you closer to your personal nirvana.
Engage all five senses. Don’t just put on your shirt in the morning. Take a second to feel the weave, to take in the color, to smell the freshness (it is clean, isn’t it?). Okay, you don’t have to taste it, but you’re starting to get the idea. Same with your food. Don’t just eat it; savor the smells and sights of a delicious meal. By packing the mundane with meaning, we create a luxurious lifestyle out of nothing at all.
Make a list of the things you get in return when give things up. My list includes freedom, peacefulness, and room to think. Keep the list at the bottom of sock drawer and reference as needed. It’s a powerful reminder of exactly why I’m not filling my drawers with endless new things.
photo credit: apes_abroad
译文:
五种办法使你自得其乐 【优客出品】
当你被问及“简朴”一词的定义，很多读者会强调以较少的拥有而享受较大的欢乐。但要你把东西都丢丢掉是说起来容易做起来难。用以下的五种方法可以使您既得节省又享受生活。
就地取材：检查一遍你的音乐收集，把那些曾经遗忘的你最爱的作品做个播放列表再倾听一遍；（我个人非常喜欢这样做）把书架中你最喜欢的书拿出来再读一遍；把橱柜里那些老古董取出来给它一个好位置。使用和享受你所现在所拥有的会给你一种充实而振奋的感觉！
收集一些没有花费而又有趣的事情去做：你可以来一个摄影之旅；教你的狗学一个新游戏；与你的爱人温存一下；激励家人来个摔跤比赛；写点歪诗；小睡一会儿，或者随音乐起舞。你能想象出来的主意越多，从你指尖产生的欢乐就越多。
关注自由空间：为每一个空书架，每一面空墙面，每一寸空地面而欢呼。如果自由与幸福相等（或者是其重要的组成部分）。那么这些自由空间就会带你靠近那极乐的彼岸。
用五种感官感受生活：早上不要是仅仅穿上衬衫而已，还要花费一点时间感受一下它的质地，它的颜色和清新（是干净的，不是么），当然你不需要品尝已经能感觉到其中的味道了。同理对于食物，不要仅仅把它吃下去而已，还要品味一下它的色与味。给平凡的生活赋予意义，那我们就从一无所有中创造出了高档的生活。
把因为放弃而得到的回报列表收集起来：我的表中包含：自由，宁静，空间。把这份表格放在抽屉里。这样一看到它就会让我回忆起为什么我的抽屉里没有那么多新事物。