TWO HAPPY CAMPERS

Last month, we were in Los Angeles visiting family when my cousin asked us, “How do you live such a simple life?”

I spent a week unpacking her question, only to realize that the path to simplicity is paved with intentional decisions. We all have the ability to simplify or complicate our lives, and for years now, Mark and I have made thoughtful choices in an effort to live the life we truly desire.

The more I marinated on my cousin’s question, the more the answers started to reveal themselves. At first, I wondered if “simple” was even the right word, until I looked up the definition:

simple [sim-puhl] adjective

1. Easy to understand, deal with, or use.
2. Not elaborate or artificial; plain.
3. Not ornate or luxurious; unadorned.
4. Unaffected; unassuming; modest.
5. Not complicated.

My cousin was spot on. Living a life that’s easy to deal with, not artificial, and not complicated is—and has always been—a primary goal of ours. Some people may not see a simple life as something to strive for, but I’ve found the simpler my life is, the more time I actually have to enjoy it.

For us, a simple life is a joyful life. As soon as you can harness the power to spend your time how you want instead of how you think you should, the BS takes a backseat and the joy comes flooding in.

Here is how we actively strive for simplicity:

1. Turn Down the Noise

TV, news, social media, apps, ads, ads, and more ads—the list goes on. It’s all noise, much of it useless, and it’s sucking away more of your time than you realize. Whether you give it your undivided attention or not, it gets into your head and takes up space. Media has done a phenomenal job of creeping in and becoming seamless with our daily activities, but it’s our choice to partake. We have the power to turn it all off.

The more chances you give yourself to have organic thoughts (not thoughts infiltrated by media), the more likely you are to discover what makes you truly happy. A few changes we’ve made over the years to free up our time and clear our heads include:

• Ad-Free TV: We only stream programs that are ad-free. There’s no mindless channel surfing in our house and, more importantly, no commercials. I cannot come up with a worse way to spend my time than by consuming ads.
• Ad-Free Music: We gladly pay a small monthly premium for ad-free music streaming.
• Banning the News: I ban the news entirely; I’ve come to terms with being too sensitive to absorb the non-stop noise of the modern world without it knocking me completely off-balance. Mark very deliberately selects the news articles he chooses to read.
• Limiting Social Media: Mark refuses to partake entirely, and I work to abstain as much as possible. Periods of heavy social media use has revealed to me how quickly my thoughts and time are hijacked.

You’ll find that the more you distance yourself from these distractions, the less you’ll tolerate giving up your precious time to anything that does not add to the quality of your life.

2. Make Good Decisions

This has been a mantra of ours ever since making some sloppy choices in the infancy of our business, and it always keeps us on the right path. I realize people don’t intentionally try to make poor choices, but I think many of us end up in tough situations without really thinking things through.

Listen to your gut—it will never steer you wrong. Don’t act on impulse, and don’t be swayed by the expectations of others. Most importantly, if it’s a big decision, always give yourself the night to sleep on it.

3. Focus on What Matters (try not to get caught up in the rest)

We can’t be everything to everyone, no matter how hard we try. It is vital to know what really matters to you and your family and then hone your focus on those values.

Don’t worry about what your neighbors are doing, what your colleagues are driving, or how much money you think your friends have. What do YOU want out of life? What makes YOU tick?

I don’t know who the “Joneses” are, but they’ve set an unrealistic precedent. When I figured out that a healthy body, a happy marriage, being surrounded by good people, and the great outdoors are what matter most to me, I put my attention there. I quickly discovered how many things I had been wasting energy on that didn’t matter at all.

For example, I used to be caught up in fashion and decor until I realized that interest stemmed entirely from wanting people to like me. Once I realized that, I felt an unbelievable sense of relief to let it go. So what if I wear the same outfit all the time or have cheap furniture? I’m still me. Anyone who thinks any less of me isn’t someone I want in my life anyway.

4. Let Things Go

I think it’s safe to say that we all can fill a to-do list from now until eternity. Chores, work, projects, maintenance, groceries—the list never ends. There is always something that “needs” to get done. But have you ever thought about crossing a few things off your list by just deciding not to do them at all?

A couple of years ago, I was drowning in work projects when I finally accepted the fact that I just couldn’t do it all. I sorted through my task manager and chose three things to completely delete. Poof! Just like that, tasks that had been eating away at me were gone.

I realized that I had more tasks than time. I had never even come close to starting those specific items; instead, they just gnawed at me every single day when I looked at them. So, I let them go. And guess what? The world didn’t end.

5. Steer Clear of Drama

We intentionally live a drama-free life and surround ourselves with positive, inspirational people. Drama is worse than worthless, and we refuse to get caught up in anyone else’s issues. If our friends or family need genuine help, we are there in a heartbeat—but we draw the line at listening to chronic complaining.

A dear friend of ours drove this point home for me while battling breast cancer. Every single time I saw or spoke with her during her treatment, she was smiling. I never heard her complain once. It completely blew me away. If anyone had a right to be upset, it was her. But she knew complaining would get her nowhere, and she stayed entirely focused on the positive.

Her attitude was just as powerful as her treatment. She remains a constant reminder that there is so much more to life than getting caught up in petty nonsense.

6. Stop Worrying

Whatever you’re worrying about right now: stop. Tell the paranoid, anxious little voice in your head to shut up. Worrying has to be the most worthless use of our brains there is. Worry and stress are entirely unhealthy and completely unproductive. I once heard a quote that I’ll never forget:

“Worry is nothing but meditating on shit.”

Have truer words ever been spoken? If you’re worrying about something you can change, take actionable steps toward making that change. If you’re worrying about something you have zero power over, accept the lack of control and refocus on the things you can manage.

7. Practice True Gratitude

If you have a roof over your head, food in your belly, and love in your life, you have a lot to be grateful for. It’s easy to get caught up in what we lack rather than giving thanks for what we do have. At the end of the day, food, water, shelter, and love are the only things that truly matter. Focus on being grateful, and you’ll quickly find that you already have everything you need.

For Mark and I, simplifying life is all about getting more value from our time. Our time on this Earth is finite, and how we choose to spend it is what defines us. Money comes and goes, but once a moment in time is gone, you can never get it back. The more conscious thought you put into how you want to spend your days, the more fulfilling your life will become.