National Simplicity Day honors transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. The day advocates a life of simplicity and recognizes the life of Thoreau.
Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) lived his life as many things including an author, naturalist, philosopher, and historian. He was also known to be a tax resister, abolitionist, development critic, and surveyor. His book, Walden, is a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings.
“In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness.”
– Henry David Thoreau
In our fast, ever-increasingly busy lifestyles, the observance encourages stepping back and looking at ways to simplify our lives. It’s an opportunity to declutter and eliminate the unnecessary burdens that weigh us down. Even taking a few moments to tune into nature helps us to refocus and find balance.
“My riches consist not in the extent of my possessions but in the fewness of my wants.”
– J. Botherton“Simplicity is the essence of happiness.”
– Cedric Bledsoe“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
– Robert Brault
How to Simplify
Seek a leisurely pace that doesn’t include the accumulation of things. That’s the easiest explanation of the day. Look to nature or companionship, perhaps to a few passages from a book or the wisdom of a child. We all need the nourishment of food and rest and satisfaction of a job well done. These simple things collect together to fulfill our greatest needs. All that remains falls away.
However, living simply doesn’t mean living without. It means living with only what we need. Look around you throughout the day and consider the excesses. The next time something breaks ask whether it can be repaired instead of replacing it.
Besides, when our lives are simpler, our stress decreases. We no longer feel the pressure to acquire more things. We have time to pursue adventures and spend time with people we enjoy.
“It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.”
– Henry Ward Beecher
“The simplest things are often the truest.”
– Richard Bach
