Originally Published January
20, 2003 -- Your Wellness Guide
The Simple Life: Trend Bodes Well For
Change
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Trends
come and go. But, if there’s one new movement that I hope stays
around for a while and changes society for the better, it is keeping
the majority of things simple.
There
are a lot of expectations out there about how we should look, how we
should entertain, what we should wear, what our garden should look
like, how to decorate our homes…the list goes on and on. |
And all of
this takes time and money – both of which are scarce these days.
There’s also
piles of information to process, manage, and stay on top of, even if it’s
just your personal e-mail box.
No matter
which way you cut it, it all boils down to time and priorities. Most days
I feel lucky if I can keep the dishes out of the sink, let alone create a
new table centerpiece.
Thankfully
there are a lot of new resources and experts out there that teach us how
to wind down, sort through the clutter, live in the moment, and not feel
expected to live an overly ambitious model home life on a daily basis.
For example,
you’ve probably noticed that there are several new simple-life-focused
magazines popping up at the grocery store checkout.
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Photo Courtesy:
Wellington Media
Simple life and
natural lifestyle magazines help
us sort through information and save time. |
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To name a few, Real Simple, Chic Simple,
Organic Style, and Budget Living. While many of
these publications’ departments look like old standbys –
style, beauty, home, health, travel, food, features – it’s the
approach, the look, and the content that’s different.
The publisher of Time Inc.’s Real Simple, Robin
Domeniconi, spoke with me about why her magazine meets a
consumer need.
She says that she doesn’t think simple living is a trend
rather the “sensibility of our times.” |
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By doing all
the legwork, Real Simple (www.realsimple.com) focuses on offering solutions to make life
easier, like quick tips to organize a closet, the best home products, and
simple meals.
Real Simple’s
point is to do the work for you in directing you to what are the best
choices and how to do things better in less time, all so that you can
spend more time with what really matters – like your family and friends.
“We’ve just
touched the iceberg,” says Robin Domeniconi. “Simplifying your life is
not easy to do, and it’s an aspiration. But, people are looking for
practical solutions to real life.”
She says the
best way to achieve a simple life is to first realize the
type of life you want to live, then live it.
Perhaps part
of this reality of knowing what we want from life can be shaped by living
in the moment and taking time to see what’s right before our eyes.
Unfortunately, it’s far too easy to always be in a whirlwind of busy-ness
– like a train that doesn’t stop – and feel like we’re losing control or
missing what’s important.
In fact,
there’s a brand new book on this subject:
In the Moment: Celebrating
the Everyday, by Harvey L. Rich, M.D.
Harvey Rich
says “To celebrate life’s moments is the big work of even seemingly small
events. A dinner together, an achievement at school or work, the smile of
a baby, the touch of love – all are moments to be celebrated. It is both
the small and the large events of life that lend value and texture to our
lives.”
Inspired to
write his book after 9/11, Harvey Rich was convinced that celebrating
life’s moments is an antidote to much of what pulls apart the fabric of
our society.
As parents,
there’s so much to celebrate all throughout a day with our children. My
four year old likes to paint watercolor pictures. As far as I’m
concerned, each one is a work of art, a chance to make positive remarks,
and a display of creativity.
Getting down
to life’s simplest things, think of the dinner table. Just eating
together, sharing life’s so-called mundane things, can be a treasured tie
that binds.
Simple life
– trend or not – it’s got my vote.
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