A Survival Kit for Change

The objective of Voluntary Simplicity is an intention of living with balance in order to find a life of greater purpose, fulfillment and satisfaction. Duane Elgin(7)

Simplicity: Having enough (but not an excess) of the things that are most important to you.

Voluntary: A deliberate life based on choice -- not poverty, not deprivation.

Learn:

• Why idealism and making a living are not mutually exclusive.
• How clarifying your values can help you live the life you want.
• How to have the time and money to support causes to change the world.
• Why individual efforts do matter in the bigger picture.
• Ways to get started.

Why Voluntary Simplicity Makes Sense for Activists

On a Personal Level…

Simplifying your life can give you the financial freedom and time to volunteer, work on projects or even run for office. The less money you need to live on, the more flexibility you have. You can work fewer hours or work at a more meaningful job that might pay less. (8, 9)

Voluntary Simplicity allows you to sustain your vision, giving you ways to survive in the current culture while working to change it. Conventional wisdom says we give up our ideals when faced with the realities of making a living. But don’t these “realities” define the system we are working to change? By living simply now we can show others what the future could be like.

We must be the change we wish to see in the world. Gandhi

Simplifying effectively means finding out what is “enough” for you. Our culture tells us more is better, but the problem with more is that there’s no end to it. The solution is to develop an internal measurement system so you know what enough means for you. (2, 6, 12)

Some ways to create this yardstick:

• Have a purpose in life greater than yourself.
• Take responsibility for a larger whole, beyond just your family.
• Become aware of and accountable for your money behavior.

On a Global Level…

It would take four Earths for everyone on the Planet to live the lifestyle of North Americans.(16)

Voluntary Simplicity is the natural antidote to overconsumption. In a 1994 speech to the United Nations, Vicki Robin, co-author of Your Money or Your Life, stressed the dangers of squandering our capital and natural resources. Overconsumption leads to:

• Economic weakness in the form of bankruptcy, debt, low savings rates.
• Tolerance of the same more-is-better thinking in government and corporate activities.
• Modeling an unattainable and unsustainable lifestyle to the global community.
• Environmental destruction.
• Resource depletion.

A triangle connecting money, health and the environment reinforces the interdependence of our actions. Ernest Callenbach (5) uses this image to suggest that when we do something beneficial for one of the points of the triangle, we will most often do something beneficial for the other two.

An example – When riding a bike to do errands you are getting exercise, saving money (car expenses) and helping the environment (resource depletion and pollution). This model also reinforces the power we have as individuals. Simple actions have long-term, powerful effects.

Getting Started:

Clarifying Your Values

Every time you open your wallet or “spend” your time, you cast a vote for how you want the world to be. Does your spending support your values? To answer this question you first need to know what your values are.(2, 6, 15)

Take some time to examine what it is that you hold dearest. Listed below are some values. No doubt you can think of others. Try sorting through this list, rank-ordering them all, choosing your top five or seven. Define what you mean by each of your top values.

• Social justice
• Family
• Ecological wisdom
• Freedom
• Non-violence
• Community
• Responsibility
• Spirituality
• Sustainability
• Integrity
• Health
• Recognition
• Achievement
• Cooperation
• Democracy

Values clarification will:

1. Give definition to your own values and plan of action.
2. Let you and your partner or family sort out common goals.
3. Create support for your activism from your nearest and dearest. Agreements about what’s important will clear the way for your participation.

Spending $ in Alignment with Your Values (2,6)

One of the keys to bringing values to bear on spending is to think of money in terms of life energy. Yes, every dollar you earn represents a trade of your precious life here on earth so when you buy something you exchange hours of your life for the privilege of ownership. This exchange also means that the more time you spend to get money, the less you have to devote to what’s important to you. Here are some steps to make the most of what you earn:

1. Find the actual amount of money you are trading the hours of your life for by calculating your “real hourly wage.” Figure out expenses associated with your job – commute, clothing, child-care, etc. Subtract this from your take-home pay. Figure out the time associated with your job – commuting, business travel, de-stressing, etc. and add these hours to your on-the-job time. Then divide the new dollar total by the new hour total. This figure is your Real Hourly Wage, probably a lot less than what you had thought.

2. Track and categorize your spending. Record every cent. People who do this find the simple act of recording reduces spending by 20%. This means you would be 20% less dependent on a paycheck and have more time for causes you believe in.

3. At the end of the month total all your spending categories. Find out how many hours of your life energy you traded for each purchase or in each category (divide totals by Real Hourly Wage). Ask yourself if you received full value and satisfaction for the trade-off of life energy. Then see how your spending matched and supported your values.

Connect with Like Minds

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

Connecting and spending time with others who are working on issues that inspire you is a great way to get started and keep up your momentum. (1, 24)

Benefits are:

1. A way to explore causes that you want to support – finding your place in the work that needs doing.
2. A way to keep from getting overwhelmed. It’s easy to feel as though we are the only ones who care. Finding out that many people are doing all kinds of different things lets you focus on your passion knowing that other things are getting done too. (10, 22)
3. A way to share information, resources and support. Forming a community allows you to pool time and skills. Exchanging tasks, such a baby-sitting or meal preparation, frees up time and makes everyone more effective.

Unplug from the Consumer Culture (8, 13, 20, 25)

Refuse to participate in the stampede to consume. The culture built around buying stuff not only takes our hard-earned money, but seeks to substitute what money can buy for life experiences that can’t be bought. Also, the more time you spend working on worthy causes the less time you will have to spend money! Ways to unplug:

1. Support your local economy by buying products made near-by or services provided by independently owned businesses. This includes eating locally grown food which means you will be eating seasonally. (21)
2. Know where goods you buy come from and who has made them. Avoid items made in sweatshops or with convict or child labor.(21)
3. Understand and participate in recycling so you buy products that are made from sustainable resources and/or can be recycled. Also avoid products made using toxic ingredients or processes. (4, 21)
4. Boycott non-necessities. Use this effective tool to impact production of excess frivolous stuff.
5. Buy second-hand. Give other people’s “junk” a new life with this form of recycling.
6. Become media literate so you and your kids know how to navigate the world of information exploding all around us. (14, 17)
7. Turn off the TV. Reclaim your time; reclaim your soul. Both advertisements and programming subtly and not so subtly create expectations and wants. Children and teenagers are especially vulnerable. (17, 18, 19)
8. When reading newspapers or magazines skip the ads and focus on the editorial content. You’ll save time and spare yourself the temptation offered in the sales pitch. (19)

Note to Parents: If you are worried that Voluntary Simplicity means depriving your children of “advantages” consider what a life focused on values can provide instead. You will be working for a better future not only for your kids but all the children of the world. Your example and thoughtful life style will give your kids a great start in determining their own values and developing the skills to live up to them. (14)

More powerfully than ever, our personal and collective security depends on the values that are reflected in the daily work we do…Not only our comfort, but arguably our survival, depends on realigning our economic activity with shared values.
Melissa Everett (9)

Resources

1. Andrews, Cecile. The Circle of Simplicity. 1997.
2. Blix, Jacqueline and David Heitmiller. Getting a Life: Strategies for Simple Living based on the Revolutionary Program for Financial Freedom Your Money or Your Life. 1999. gettingalife.org
3. Boldt, Laurence. Zen and the Art of Making a Living. 1999.
4. Brower, Michael and Warren Leon. The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices. 1999.
5. Callenbach, Ernest. Living Cheaply with Style. 1993.
6. Dominguez, Joe and Vicki Robin. Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence. 1999.
7. Elgin, Duane. Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life that is Outwardly Simple and Inwardly Rich. Rev. ed. 1993.
8. Fogler, Michael. Unjobbing: The Adult Liberation Handbook. 1997.
9. Everett, Melissa. Making a Difference while Making a Living: A Guide to Creating Careers with Conscience. 1995.
10. Loeb, Paul Rogat. Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time. 1999.
11. Luhrs, Janet. The Simple Living Guide: A Roadmap for Less Stressful, More Joyful Living. 1997.
12. Miller, Timothy. How to Want What You Have: Discovering the Magic and Grandeur of Ordinary Existence. 1995.
13. Nearing, Helen and Scott. The Good Life: Helen and Scott Nearing’s Sixty Years of Self-Sufficient Living. 1989.
14. Sherlock, Marie. Living Simply with Children. 2003.
15. Simon, Sidney B., et.al. Values Clarification: A Handbook of Strategies for Teachers and Students. 1972.
16. Wackernagel, Mathis and William Rees. Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth. 1996.
17. Center for Media Literacy – medialit.org – 800-226-9494
18. TV-Free America – tvturnoff.org – 202-887-0436
19. Take Back Your Time Day – timeday.org
20. Center for the New American Dream – newdream.org
877-68-DREAM
21. Co-op America – coopamerica.org -- 800-58-GREEN
22. YES! A Journal of Positive Futures – yesmagazine.org
800-937-4451
23. simpleliving.net – Info about simple living, newsletter.
24. Northwest Earth Institute – nwei.org –503-227-2807 Group study guides on Voluntary Simplicity and more.
25. Korten, David C. The Post-Corporate World: Life After Capitalism. 1999.

Information compiled by Jacque Blix and Jody Grage Haug, Seattle, WA -- 206-789-3620 or Jacque@gettingalife.org

Please feel free to make numerous copies and distribute widely!