It’s easy to make choices that are choreographed to the beat of our materialistic culture declaring “more, more, more!”  But some people who have chosen to simplify their lives march to a distinctly different beat, declaring with quiet confidence that “less is more.” 

Those who choose simple lives have discovered that while purposefully living below their financial means may make them seem poor on the outside, it enriches them on the inside. As they free up their resources to focus on what matters most, some said, they grow closer to God than they could otherwise.

“When we’re buying into the fast-paced consumerism that says we’ve got to do more and acquire more, there’s a point we reach at which our lives no longer have much meaning or integrity anymore,” said Beth Braxton, who tries to make simple choices both at home and on the job at a church in Burke, Virginia. “Life is, at its roots, basic and simple. True happiness comes from things like sharing the joy of conversation with a friend or watching a cardinal out on a birdfeeder.”

Living simply frees people to align their lives with their values and pursue what matters most to them, said Jack Davis, who chose to forgo lucrative job opportunities after retiring from the Central Intelligence Agency so he could devote his time to more meaningful volunteer work. “My sense of worth and self-esteem is increasingly based on my values and not material things and possessions.  I no longer feel any need to ‘keep up with the Joneses,’” he said.

No matter how entrenched a person is in a complex, consumptive lifestyle, it’s always possible to change to a simple one that’s focused on core values, said Daisy Birch, who was able to follow her dream of starting a home-based business after cutting distractions from her schedule. “It’s very possible to shift from a hectic, distracted life to a more rewarding one,” she said. “It’s possible at any time in your life. One question to ask yourself is, ‘What do you really want?’ and another is, ‘Isn’t it right under your nose?’.  Sometimes that’s the scariest place to look, but once you look there, it’s not scary anymore.”

Davis said that choosing not to constantly buy more and better products means less stress to distract him from pursuing his values, because he doesn’t have the financial pressure of having to earn large amounts of money or the anxiety of dealing with debt. “The most profound change that comes to those who successfully adjust to a simpler life is a sense of freedom,” said Davis, who refrains from buying items he doesn’t truly need and tries to repair or reuse items he already owns rather than replacing them.

The freedom that comes from living simply has given Braxton more time to spend with God.  She carves out time from her schedule that she could have spent shopping and uses it for extra prayer and reflection instead.