This is how our simple life started.
I remember the moment like it was yesterday…
My husband and I were in our office, the phones were ringing, his beeper was buzzing, there was a client waiting downstairs, and our assistant had just called off. I looked up from a stack of invoices as he handed me a flyer. All he said as he turned to leave was “This is where I want to be.” His eyes were sad and his voice cracked. In seven words my otherwise strong and in control husband told me he quit. As I looked down at the flyer, I saw nothing but a red tractor parked in a field. It was an advertisement for a tractor company and it spoke loud and clear to where my husband’s heart wanted to be. Anywhere but in the concrete jungle, we were calling home.
That seems like a lifetime ago, but it was the beginning of a new life for us. It was the start of our quest to a simple life. It was time to leave the city and follow our dreams. At first, it was hard to slow down after spending so many years living a stressful lifestyle. But we made it work by applying some basic simple living principles.
Living in the country and owning a tractor may not be your dream, but whatever it is that’s inspiring you, try to apply some of these techniques:
- Make your lifestyle a priority– We knew we wanted to live in the country, grow vegetables, raise animals and be self-sufficient. We wanted to re-live our childhood by smelling hay, gathering eggs and having a pantry full of home-canned food. Determine the lifestyle you want and make it a priority!
- Slow down and enjoy every task – A big part of living simple is slowing down, which can be a real challenge for a society that is consumer driven by the fastest, newest, and next best thing. Whether it’s cleaning a chicken coop or building a fence, we try hard to enjoy the task at hand. We work hard and laugh often.
- Know what’s important – For us, there was nothing that could hold us back from living our dream. For our sanity, we knew we had to change, to get back to our roots and build a life in the country. It didn’t come easy, but through hard work and determination, we accomplished our life-long goal. Figure out what’s important to you and let nothing stand in your way!
- Connect with nature – It’s so natural to feel the dirt between your fingers and the sun on your face. One of the first steps to living a simpler life is allowing the wonders of nature to connect with your soul. Take a walk, plant a flower, listen to the birds and you’ll be amazed at its calming effect on your personal well-being.
- Make the most of today – Stop worrying about tomorrow and live for the day. Moving to the country far away from the hustle of the city made us realize that our time here on earth is short and made us want to live each day to its fullest.
Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, stop and make a list of goals.
You don’t need to change your address or move to the country to live a simple life. All you need is to learn to slow down, turn your back on consumerism, make time to enjoy nature and make the most of every day. Life is not a race. Simple living is only a few steps away, so take yours today!
Thanks for stopping by!
Tracy Lynn
P.S. Do you like what you are reading?
Are you looking to slow down and live a simpler life?
I am so happy you’ve landed here and I can share some of the simple living principles that have made a huge difference in our lives.
To give you a place to start I have created a “5 Steps to Simple Living Guide“ that I am offering to you free.
Along with this free download, is included a complimentary subscription to our weekly Our Simple Homestead Newsletter. Each week you’ll receive simple living tips, homesteading ideas, old-fashion recipes and every once in awhile a touch of the Amish lifestyle.
Click here to receive your free download of 5 Steps to Simple Living today!
DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation from affiliate and sponsored posts on this blog.
Want more? Read on.
Beautiful post. Thanks for sharing your Blessings.
Wonderful post, Tracy! I can relate to your journey on so many levels. I love when you write about your journey to a simpler life.
Thanks Cheryl I am so happy my crazy stories inspire others to live a simpler life!
“Simple living is only a few steps away…”-love this statement, partly because it’s true. Your story is so inspiring. I think you should start writing farm fiction, for those of us who love the lifestyle, even if we’re not yet on our dream farm.
So glad that you and your hubby were able to make the switch. It suits you.
Thanks Daisy! Living simple is really about how you approach life and is not all about your street address. You and I both know its more about what’s inside than what’s outside!
Love this! My farmer husband and I are working on this! One of these days…….Blessings to you and thank you for sharing!!!
A beautiful post and a timely wake-up call for me. I’ve been feeling out-of-whack lately, and I see now that I need to get back to my core values and lifestyle priorities. Thank you!
Thanks Tracy for this wonderful post.
Hubby and I moved to the country a year ago and we have been building our house for the past year. Thankfully we are getting close to the finish line. We are hoping to add chickens and a few cows in the next year or so. we want to be as self sustainable as possible, but we also know we cant get it all at once unless we want to go heavily into debt which is not an option. We are very fortunate to live in an area with tons of wild berries that my girls and I can pick and preserve for the winter, and im hoping that my garden will turn out well. LOL
I wake up every morning so thankful for where we are today and super excited for the future.
What a lovely post. We had a similar experience when out in the woods and my husband turned to me and said this is what I want. We’ve since sold our homes and moved into our Airstream. We finish up our stationary jobs/lives the end of the year and then hit the road to live the simple life of travel that we’ve both been working towards. You are absolutely right that simple living is only a few steps away…we just have to start walking. Thank you for sharing your journey.
That sounds like so much fun! We have talked about selling the farm and RVing full time when we retire. You can’t get much simpler than that!
Simple living is something I think about a lot. We finally made the move from the suburbs of Washington, DC to the mountains 18 months ago and I have never been happier. It was scary leaving the familiar life we knew, and our family didn’t understand our decision, but now they appreciate our slower, less stressful life.
My family thought we were crazy…but they are finally seeing that we are so much happier and embrace our choices now. Good luck to you…I am sure it will be the best move you every made!
I love your post and wish every day to live out the same dream. My small backyard farm gives me the simpler life I long for as well, but still living in suburbia and homeschooling our daughter I still feel trapped. Every day I struggle with what is important and fight with myself over the mistakes I feel I make that takes me away from who I want to be. I think for me personally I need to just find inner strength first and then go from there…..but that is harder said then done for me. Thanks for the inspirational words
Mandi living a simple life is all about taking one day at a time and not looking back. Find something to be joyful about each and everyday and do just one thing that gives you a sense of having control of your life. Take your daughter for a walk in nature and point out something that will help you connect to your surroundings, make a homemade supper from scratch, visit a Farmer’s Market and buy locally grown fruits and vegetables, plant something even if it’s in a container. Do something everyday to help you be more self-sufficient and try really hard to not look back only ahead!
I love that he handed you a picture of a red tractor in a field. Reading that spoke volumes to my heart. We have been working on our homestead for a little over 3 years now. I have a house full of children who are on this journey with us. However, what I love the most is that my two youngest ages 4 and 1 don’t know any other lifestyle, and they are perfectly at home on our homestead. They love the life we have carved out for them. When I see my 18 month old daughter wander around freely with the chickens it just makes my heart sing. In actuality all of my kids love our homestead and we are so grateful we live here. Its not easy, there is always a lot of work to be done because we moved to 36 acres of tumbleweeds and sage brush in the middle of no where, but every month we see a little more of our dream materialize.
Sounds like you have found perfect!
I just wrote a post about my journey to the homestead, too. In fact, I shared it on the same blog hop! It’s always interesting to read of how others made their dream come true, so thanks for sharing.
It is a better life especially for kids.