Simplicity

Got this from a friend and 'thought this one's very nice to share, too! ;)
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The Freedom of Simplicity
Source: Bo Sanchez

Happiness is not found outside of you. It doesn't come from cars, clothes, cash, or Caribbean cruises. Happiness is found within. But how can you find it if you don't have the simplicity of time and space to discover the most important things in your life? How can you search the depths of your soul if you are too busy impressing others, acquiring wealth, protecting your properties and paying your debts? Simplicity is not about the externals either: living in a dog house, eating in a Hepatitis joint, wearing rags.

Let me define what it is: Simplicity is living from the core of your being.

Simplicity will point to you where and what and who the gold is in your life.

LESSONS ON SIMPLE LIVING

1) LIVE ON LESS, AND DELIGHT IN THEM MORE
Some take their pleasure dining in classy restaurants,trips to Europe, and owning the latest home-theatre equipment. I've chosen the simple path: If I can simply be with my wife, or take a quiet stroll under a canopy ofstars, or play with a child, or read a good book in my home, or laugh with friends overpizza, I consider myself richly blessed.

2) STOP RUNNING AND WALK INSTEAD

Here's the truth: The person who has covered the greatestdistance does NOT win, but the one who has most enjoyed the journey does. Stop running around chasing your own tail! Get off your harried pace and learn to breathe. Replace doing with being. Learn to say "no" to invitations, appointments, commitments, activities and events that will rob you of your focus. Learn to say "yes" to rest, to tranquility, to quietness.

3) YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR WEALTH

I own very few things today. Because I am more than thebrand of my watch, the logo of my shoes, the name of my car. I believe that if in my soul I deeply respect and value myself, people around me will sense that, and they,too, will value and respect me - whether I'm wearing Armani or not. You are more than your wealth.

4) AVOID BUYING ON CREDIT
I don't believe in borrowing from credit cards. (For convenience, I use one card but I pay the whole amount at the end of each month.) If Ineed something really bad, I save up for it. Sometimes, at midpoint, I realize I don'treally need the darn thing and give up the whole idea. The only exception I feel we should enter into credit is when buying a non-depreciating item, such as housing or land. I believe we should always live within our earning capacity.

Proverbs 22:7 says, "Those who borrow are slaves of moneylenders."

5) GIVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
If I content myself with a Php250 shirt instead of a P4,000 Lacoste, I can help others more. Tust me, there's immense pleasure! You'll find thatthe empty thrill of owning a diamond ring on your finger pales in comparison to the joy of handling a piece of bread to an orphan child. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2Corinthians 9:8)

6) SAVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
Saving is essential to being good stewards of the moneythat God "lends" to us. Saving is an important way of providing for our future -both for our needs and to be generous to others. I recommend that you save at least10% of your income. I can almost hear you now: "Bo, that's impossible!" Oh yeah? Well, how did you live three years back, when your salary was one-half its present amount?

Sacrifice. Many of our needs are actually wants. Is cableTV a need? Will you suddenly die if you can't watch CNN or HBO? Are those new golf clubs essential to your existence? Invest in time deposits, long-term stocks, and housing.

7) BUDGET, BUDGET, BUDGET!
Make a list of all your monthly expenses according tocategories. Make also a list of irregular expenses - those that don't come monthly.(e.g., car insurance, medical expenses, house repairs, etc.) Set up another savings account for these expenses and put in a little money each month. To differentiate this from the savings account, we call ours "freedom account," because it frees us from worrying about them when they suddenly attack. (We got this idea from the Financially Confident Woman by Mary Hunt.) And stick to your budget!

ONE LAST WORD...

Balance. Don't take living simply to the extremes! Livingsimply doesn't mean living in deprivation. There are special days when my wife and I eat in a fancy restaurant. Or when we splurge on a vacation. Very rare, yes, but my point is that you take living simply NOT as a rigid goal - but as a happy process towards the goals of generosity, inner peace and holiness.

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Hope you are having a blessed day! :)