Simple Living America

Goodbye SLA.... Hello Postconsumers/Get Satisfied

2009-12-30T13:40:00.000-08:00

As Michael Beck and Carol Holst explained in their most recent posts --Towards a Postconsumers Society and Postconsumers is Coming -- as of the new year, Get Satisfied will have a new home at Postconsumers.com and Simple Living America will be going away. If you haven't seen these posts discussing what Postconsumers is about, then take a peek now.

This blog will continue, but also at a new home postconsumers.blogspot.com. (It's already up and running.) I hope you'll continue to follow us there. For those of you who are subscribed to the SLA blog, either through your reader or email, you can continue to get your automatic updates by subscribing to the new blog. Click on the appropriate link below to initiate the new subscription.

Reader subscription (Google, My Yahoo, Bloglines, etc.)
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Thanks! Til next we meet at Postconsumers.....

-- Randy

Towards a Postconsumers Society

2009-12-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

By Michael Beck

As Simple Living America segues into Postconsumers.com, we are directly targeting consumerism as the central malaise of mainstream culture and promoting the satisfaction of enough as a fitting antidote. Consumerism is what the media refers to as ‘the economy,' that innocent stand-in for what is really a frenzied, all-encompassing mindset centered on the acquisition of stuff.

There's nothing inherently wrong with ‘stuff.' Rather, it is the ‘frenzied' that we take issue with: the endless treadmill of over-shopping, over-scheduling, deadlines, stressful debt, sleep deprivation, and family fragmentation. These all feed into what has become our national organizing principle - the relentless need to grow our GNP at all costs - along with its massive, technological output of new products, again regardless of cost either to our psyches or to the environment.

In no way should ‘postconsumers' be taken as a call to abandon modern lifestyles and to retreat to some charming cabin in the woods. Our complex, technological world is here to stay. Nonetheless, given the increasing obsession in recent decades with analyzing the American consumer and with growing the economy, can we be blamed for suspecting that our primary patriotic duty these days is to consume? Has it become our main purpose to serve the economy rather than vice versa?

Postconsumers, then, simply emphasizes that authentic human beings are in charge here, that all these seductively innovative technological marvels exist to serve us as we very discriminatingly choose among them, rather than let our lives be run by them. We fully support a vibrant, sustainable, and humane economy which allows citizens to meet their needs in comfort and dignity and whose purpose is to serve people, not the reverse.

Current multinational-driven consumerism, which pushes aside human-scale considerations, most definitely is not such an economy; it is neither sustainable, humane, nor ultimately even vibrant. It is aptly named, however, since it derives from the Latin consūmere, "to devour." Indeed it feeds on itself. Based less on meeting core human needs and more on gratifying commercially generated wants, this kind of consumption cannot innately satisfy. As with alcohol for the alcoholic, when it comes to the stuff of consumerism, more can never be enough.

True satisfaction lies beyond the reach of contemporary commercialism but well within the Postconsumers vision of the satisfaction of enough. Research confirms that true satisfaction - which some would call happiness - arises far more consistently from living one's inner values than from acquiring the props of external success. The monolithic monotony of Madison Avenue's brand of success ultimately oppresses. Where is there room for people's uniqueness, let alone their spirit?

Conversely, as we saw in Get Satisfied: How Twenty People Like You Found the Satisfaction of Enough, when people look to their inner values, they can discover a unique sweet spot where each may finally say, "This is plenty for my life to be good." The rather breathtaking variety of ways in which the book's contributors found their "plenty levels" underscores that there is no "right" path to a happy sufficiency. There is only the path that works for each individual. They do share one striking similarity, however; each person, upon finding what worked for him or her, experienced some form of an epiphany of freedom.

This is the freedom of psychic self-sufficiency, and as with any freedom, a person must exert considerable effort to wrest it from the clutches of society's consumerist norms. Postconsumers addresses the nitty-gritty of this process, at the heart of which lies the realization that each of us already has the inner capacity to be satisfied. This does not refer to having enough material goods per se, although that also is usually true, but rather it refers to ‘enough' at a fundamental level. We already command the necessary intrinsic resources to create a life of fulfillment, dignity, and community.

As people's unique visions take shape, a clear trend - despite their diversity - sets them off from the media version of the good life. They run less to fancy cars, palatial homes and such, and more to the modest rhythms of vibrant families, personal callings, and the time to savor them. The prominence of community and family ties emerges in virtually any account of people resetting their relationships to the consumerist culture, and it attests to these factors' irreplaceable role in any society that wishes to endure.

Get Satisfied..... by Mike Swofford

2009-12-27T08:53:00.000-08:00

Check out Mike Swofford's Get Satisfied cartoon gallery at Postconsumers.com when the new site goes live on December 31st.

Postconsumers is coming

2009-12-09T12:54:00.001-08:00

FALL 2009 NEWSLETTER

Simple Living America and Postconsumers News
By Carol Holst

I'm happy to announce that on January 1, 2010, our Get Satisfied campaign will have a new home at www.postconsumers.com. Currently under construction, Postconsumers is an educational company helping to move society beyond addictive consumerism. One of our primary new offerings will be a companion "how-to" interactive web module called "Get Satisfied: How to Find the Satisfaction of Enough," a year in development and produced in cooperation with the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. Other offerings will include an ever-growing Get Satisfied Cartoon Gallery, a Community Blog (all contributors are welcome to join Randy Gold and Michael Beck) and a unique Help Define Postconsumers public contest/vote. For example, New American Dream has great ideas at www.newdream.org/consumption/rights.php that can be used to help define this cool term: "No longer content to be described as consumers, nor to participate in the world mainly through our buying activity, we the post-consumers of the world claim these unalienable rights..." Let's share our visions for this key word and ways to advance mindful consumption.

In addition, our current Get Satisfied book will be republished for Postconsumers on January 1 by Easton Studio Press in Connecticut, with new marketing outreach by Cubitt, Jacobs & Prosek in New York and new web magic by Ripe Media in Los Angeles. Underscoring all of these fresh plans is the "Exploratory Research on Materialism" study recently conducted for us by The Pollux Group market research firm (summary report at the SLA main site, scroll to bottom of page.) So as Simple Living America concludes on December 31 after 13 years, I want to especially thank the Center for Transformative Action at Cornell University for its terrific anchor and all of you for helping to spread the word about visiting www.postconsumers.com often after launch. See Michael Beck's column for much more about Postconsumers and call me at 1-877-Unstuff with any questions, it's always fun to talk. Lastly and most of all, there are numerous excellent simple living organizations to turn to anytime you like, such as the Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska national public television series at www.simplelivingtv.net and The Simple Living Network at www.simpleliving.net .

Additional columns¹ from the Fall newsletter are at the SLA/Get Satisfied main site.

¹ Mike Swofford's latest Get Satisfied cartoon, Wanda Urbanska, Michael Beck, Cecile Andrews, Frank Levering, Take Back Your Time Day and "Outside the Covers."

2009 Free Conference Call Series

2009-11-16T20:47:00.000-08:00

LAST TALK TO ROUND OUT THE YEAR

Special topic for December per the developments at www.getsatisfied.org/newsletter (and any personal trajectories people want to share too):

"Group Discussion: Collaborating on What We've
Learned and Where We're Going from Here"

This free one-hour national conference call will be held on:

Tuesday, December 29, 2009
5:00 pm Pacific Time
(6:00 pm Mountain, 7:00 pm Central, 8:00 pm Eastern)

Reserve now by contacting carol@simplelivingamerica.org Space is limited. You will receive a confirmation email with the toll-free number and passcode.

Additional questions? Call 1-877-Unstuff.

Desert Places

2009-10-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

By Frank Levering

Tarantulas! Mosquitoes! Peanut butter sandwiches -- oh my!

Imagine you're a kid -- a boy, in this case -- going on 12. With occasional, fleeting departures from the norm, electronic devices, home cooking, and a comfortable bed are the sweet trappings of daily life. You have your friends, too. For walks on the wild side you like things like knives -- mostly just to look at and admire -- and paintball, if it's your birthday and your parents have the cash for a splurge. Roughing it with Dad for seventeen straight days? Whose brilliant idea is that?

At our farm this summer, torrential rains truncated the cherry harvest -- bad news for the wallet, good news for the prospects of a long-anticipated foray into America 's lunar landscape, the desert Southwest. Like many Americans these days, we still wanted our fun but we needed it cheap -- that "new frugality" the media has made such a fuss about. Though his parents have made their own fuss about "simple living" for two decades, the fact is that Henry, our son, has never known penny-pinching as Wanda and Frank did at his age. With lean times down on the farm, too, why not subject the kid to an old-fashioned tutelage in really roughing it?

Life in middle age throws up yardsticks most every day, and it was with a slightly sadistic pleasure that I remembered I was Henry's age, exactly, when Sam Levering tortured me across the vast panoramas of the West. In the sepia tones of family memories, though, that 1964 trip, a month long, wasn't all about deprivation. Henry might see it that way, I acknowledged, but never sleeping in a motel or eating in a restaurant -- no, not even once! -- was now backlit with a rosy, valiant light. A short man with a tall propensity for life lessons, Sam Levering showed my older brother and me how traveling on the cheap is really done. See, you don't even cook your breakfast oats. What you do is you pour them into a bowl, add powdered milk -- still powder at this point -- then find a water source -- usually the faucet in the men's room of the first gas station of the day -- and stir the water into the raw oats and the white powder. Presto! Breakfast on the road!

Would I inflict a like trauma on Henry? Of course. Tradition is big in our part of the country -- and so is untoward pain for wayward boys. Why else would we have so many military schools down here in Virginia and the Carolinas, not to mention The Citadel, that bastion in Charleston of turning mice into men? "Are you a man or are you a mouse?" I can still hear Dad intoning that lamentable question, though he did have the decency to ask it with something akin to merriment in his crackling voice. Was Henry his grandfather's grandson and his father's son -- or was he a rodent? That was the stirring question posed by Levering tradition.

As things turned out, it was Henry, of course, who instructed Dad in the fine points of simple-living our way through the Great Southwest. My father's glorious disdain for restaurants and motels pales in the boyish exuberance of Henry chasing lizards, Henry collecting rocks, Henry climbing a juniper tree at our campsite at Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas, Henry baying at a coyote that howled in the middle of the night among Joshua trees in the California barrens. It was among Joshua trees, as well, where dear ole Dad locked the keys inside our 1996 Geo Prizm, a small car with terrific gas mileage I could make a real simple living virtue out of, should you ever want to hear. Next time. Suffice it to say that it was Dad who had to fork out the cash to get the Prizm unlocked by a pro. Dad and all his life lessons in prudent behavior and frugal living.

Adults pamper ourselves. Any chance we get we reach for the creature comforts. Locked inside our "I deserve it" bubbles we insulate ourselves from the raw stuff of our primal roots: the stony ground of a desert campsite, the drenching rain of a summer mountain storm, the way the stars trundle across the sky, slow hour by hour, as you're lying awake on your back. Kids complain -- bitterly, and without mercy -- but at his best, all those little insulating mechanisms that kicked in with his dad failed to afflict Henry. He could see all the beetles and ants and ground squirrels -- and revel in them, studying them for minutes on end. Still low to the ground, relative to his dad, it was Henry who first spied the tarantula, making its hairy and merry way straight toward us in the gathering twilight. The world is a big oyster. Henry grasps that instinctively, impatient with any little sermon on the subject his father might want to impart. The world has tarantulas, rattlesnakes, sticks to whittle to a sharp point and turn into fearsome spears. It has cool mysteries to inspect and get your hands on around every little bend in the highway.

At the American and International Rattlesnake Museum in Albuquerque, Henry didn't get his hands on the many glass-encased rattlesnakes from various corners of the Western Hemisphere. That is probably a good thing. Nor was he able to touch the actual gravestone of Billy the Kid. Outside a little town in New Mexico where Pat Garrett gunned the Kid down, they've got the gravestone chained down and locked up behind a big wrought-iron fence. (That's because it's been stolen twice, and twice recovered.) Nor did Henry touch the mountain lion at the Living Desert Zoo in Carlsbad or the staggering formations at nearby Carlsbad Caverns National Park. But his eyes drank them in. About the magnificent mountain lion, lying on its back and playfully reaching its paws upwards to grasp a tree limb, Henry said: "It's still a cat. Except for it maybe eating you for lunch, it's still like a small cat."

"It is the human," the poet Wallace Stevens once wrote, "that is alien." Frank Conroy in "Stop-Time," the harrowing chronicle of his boyhood, quotes that line as a reminder of the strangeness of human existence in a universe where, despite sophisticated efforts, astronomers have yet to find signs of intelligent life. We are what is alien -- at least by what we now, at this moment in time, can see out there, in the dark. But try telling that to Henry in Roswell, New Mexico, where by design we caught bits and pieces of the annual UFO Festival. In Roswell, the aliens are what is alien: three diminutive creatures who, in 1947, an array of credible people in the community claim to have seen, dead from the crash of what the military described as a "weather balloon." Believe what you will. Harry Truman and Jimmy Carter are two of the prominent Americans quoted at the International UFO Museum and Research Center. "I used to laugh at people who told me they'd seen UFOs," Jimmy Carter once said, "until I saw one myself."

Back to work now on the farm, I think of Thoreau's line: "Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling, and spending their lives like serfs." As the earth swings 'round the sun every year, I count myself, alas, often as one of those poor souls Thoreau was talking about, buying and selling to keep the farm going, serf-like, sure enough, in the daily grind. Like so many parents these days, I worry not so much about what is alien about aliens -- or even humans, in the reaches of space -- but rather about alienation from my child. Work -- and too little time with Henry -- just might come back to haunt me, as Henry grows up and is gone. So I think of my father, of those four camping trips, when I was a kid, so burdened, as I was then, by Dad's weirdness. How much they mean now.

And I comfort myself with fresher memories: the great deserts, the alien lunarscapes of the Southwest. With Henry in them.

I hope he will remember those desert places, too.

Can a Simplicity Advocate Find Happiness with an iPhone?

2009-10-14T09:27:00.001-07:00

By Cecile Andrews

Every week in our simplicity circle, we report on what we have done to live more simply that week. This week Anne talked about saving water by putting a bowl out each day to wash her hands (instead of running the water over and over); Joeve talked about signing up for a CSA delivery (community supported agriculture — a program in which you get a weekly box of fresh organic vegetables delivered); John and Heidi told about riding the new Seattle light rail system; Mary told us about her new shared housing situation; Pam told us about the joys of growing her own lettuce and learning to make socks; Gary talked about giving up watching TV.

What did I say when it came to be my turn? I did a “show and tell” about my new iPhone! That was a shock! Can a simplicity advocate own an iPhone without being a hypocrite? I challenged the group to help me think this question through. Let me give you some of my thoughts.

From my point of view, there are three levels of Simplicity: the practical, the philosophical, and the public policy levels. The first, the practical level, is the one people are most familiar with: it’s about cutting back and giving things up. People buy less for lots of reasons: shopping less saves them money and helps them avoid the anxiety of debt or allows them to work fewer hours; shopping less give them more free time (not only does shopping take time, but taking care of your stuff weighs on you as well); probably most important these days is the fact that consuming less helps the planet. Everything we buy not only pollutes the planet, uses up resources, but uses oil in either the production or the shipping or the marketing. Our use of oil has precipitated the climate crisis.

So consuming less stuff is one of the primary goals of Simplicity. But Simplicity is more complex than that. A lot of people are cutting back these days because of the economy, but many plan to go back to their profligate ways if their income goes back up. To make Simplicity stick, we need to move from the practical to the philosophical level. If we only cut back, we’re just focusing on having less. What we need to explore is the idea that “less is more.” People want more of the “good life,” more happiness, more fulfillment. Only if you make more the goal of the good life will you be content with less stuff.

But what is the good life? At this stage, Voluntary Simplicity becomes “the examined life” in which we ask ourselves “What’s important? What matters?” This takes some thought and exploration. We discover that as Americans, many of us believe that if we’re rich we’ll be happy. But research has disproved this. After a certain point, more wealth has little connection to happiness. In fact, it can undermine happiness because wealth often separates us from people, and it turns out that the chief ingredient in happiness is supportive, egalitarian relationships with other people.

So at this level, the philosophical level, we ask what brings us more happiness and fulfillment, and we realize that spending, working long hours, destroying the planet, and decreasing time for relationships has caused happiness to decline. We need to figure out how to make good friends, get involved with community, find our particular passion, and connect with nature — the truly good life.

Finally, the third level: the public policy level. We must realize that no one in this society can really live simply until everyone can. No one can totally escape the stress of our rushed, anxious lives in the consumer society. Yes, we can make some individual changes, but as long as we live in an overworked, unequal society, our happiness will be undermined by the cutthroat competitiveness of our corporate culture. Few can totally escape the down side of the consumer society —horrendous traffic, the constant distractions, the paucity of community, the blandness of shopping malls — no matter how much they simplify.

Thus, we need public policies that create a more equal society, policies that reduce our working hours, give us health care, education, protect our food, and limit egregious profit. (As long as there are no limits on profit, people will commit any crime to get more profit.)

So, is an iPhone acceptable? We came up with an answer. What do you think?

Simple Living America Guest Speakers Program

2009-10-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

Simple Living America members are invited to talk with celebrated author Duane Elgin.

Duane will be speaking with us on the topic of "The New Edition of Voluntary Simplicity: VS as a path for sustainable prosperity for the human community." He is the author of Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life that is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich (new edition coming Winter 2010), The Living Universe, and many other books.

This one-hour national conference call is free to Simple Living America members on:

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
5:00 pm Pacific Time
(6:00 pm Mountain, 7:00 pm Central, 8:00 pm Eastern)

Reserve now by contacting carol@simplelivingamerica.org Space is limited. In your email, let us know whether you would:

- like turns to speak and ask questions on the call, or
- prefer to just listen on the call.

You will receive a confirmation email with the toll-free number and passcode.

The conference call will begin promptly and will be recorded. Simple Living America members will have 24/7 access to telephone playback capability within 30 days of the call by phoning 1-877-Unstuff.

National conference call invitations with details are sent to SLA email list subscribers -- sign up at Get Satisfied. Additional questions? Call 1-877-Unstuff.

Happy birthday, Carol!

Simple Living America Guest Speakers Program

2009-08-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Simple Living America members are invited to talk with celebrated author Cecile Andrews.

Cecile will be speaking with us on the topic of "Less is More: What Brings People Real Happiness." She is the author of The Circle of Simplicity, Slow is Beautiful, and her latest book (co-edited with Wanda Urbanska) Less is More: Embracing Simplicity for a Healthy Planet, a Caring Economy and Lasting Happiness.

This one-hour national conference call is free to Simple Living America members on:

Wednesday, September 9, 2009
5:00 pm Pacific Time
(6:00 pm Mountain, 7:00 pm Central, 8:00 pm Eastern)

Materialism Research Results from The Pollux Group Summer 2009 newsletter column

2009-08-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

Materialism Research Results from The Pollux Group
By David Atkins

Summary Report June 2009

Research overview

Simple Living America sought to evaluate attitudes toward simplicity and materialism in the near-mainstream population and to determine the best options for possible new directions. To this end, qualitative research consisting of ten in-depth interviews was conducted on 5/27/09 in Los Angeles, CA. Interviews lasted approximately 30 minutes each. All research was conducted by David Atkins, principal at The Pollux Group, Inc. As the data gathered was qualitative in nature, conclusions should always be drawn with caution due to the limited sample population in the study.

Key respondent specifications

6 women, 4 men
7 Democratic voters, 2 DTS and 1 GOP voters
Mostly moderate in political ideology, donors to variety of non-profit organizations
Battery of questions reveals openness to anti-materialist messaging
Four aged 20-34, four aged 35-59, two aged 60+
Mostly some college or college graduates
Mix of occupations
At least $20,000 household income, with most between $40,000-$75,000
Mostly Caucasian, two African-Americans, one Hispanic

Executive summary

Financial hardship was the primary cause of stress. Cost-saving measures such as coupon-shopping and generic purchases were the primary methods of dealing with this stress. Lack of time was a constant but not a major stress. Overconsumption and materialism were seen as major problems. Most did not see it as their problem and instead externalized it onto others. Loss of inner values due to consumerism was seen as a problem, but it was perceived as a product of an inner emptiness or lack of self esteem. Most did not blame consumerism first as a cause of psychological problems, but blamed psychological problems as a cause of consumerism. “Keeping up with the Joneses” was the phrase most often used unaided to describe the phenomenon. Most indicated an interest in an anti-consumerism organization, but would not become a dedicated activist. Other issues were seen as more prominent and more directly affecting populations in greater need. Success stories were seen as key to connect emotionally. “Mindful Consumption” was by far the favorite keyword of those suggested, due to preference for the balance and intentionality associated with “mindful” and the clarity of issue created by “consumption.” “Living Simply” was 2nd, “Sustainable Consumption” 3rd, and “The Satisfaction of Enough” 4th.

Financial hardship caused primary stress

When asked the cause of their greatest stress in life, the vast majority of answers related to economic stress. The current economic climate was seen as significantly to blame: there was a general sense among respondents that cost of living continued to increase, even as their own incomes were not adequate to keep up with the extra expenses. However, finances were seen as a constant source of stress, in good times and bad. The most often mentioned other source of stress was difficulty with relationships, whether with family, friends or significant others. Interestingly, stress due to lack of time was rarely mentioned unaided by respondents, although nearly all immediately stated that it was a problem when asked by the moderator. When asked what respondents did to alleviate this time stress, most seemed confused: time stress was seen as a normal part of life, and not something that one could usually take direct action to resolve.

Many felt that overconsumption was a problem

When asked whether financial problems were caused by a lack of money for necessities, or by the purchase of unnecessary items, most said that it was some combination of both. Those with lower incomes were likelier to blame the stress on a lack of money for necessities, while those with higher incomes were likelier to blame overconsumption. There was a general sense that most Americans tend to spend too much money on unnecessary purchases, particularly electronic gadgets and clothing items. Many respondents, however, felt that some seemingly unnecessary purchases were essential to their well-being in order to engage in hobbies that particularly interested them.

Most externalized the overconsumption problem

When asked about their own consumption behavior, most respondents felt that they themselves did not have a problem, but that many of their friends and acquaintances—and even significant others—did. While it is true that screening criteria led to interviews with individuals less materialistic than average, the near universality of the externalization of the problem was striking. Respondents simply refused to believe that they themselves had an overconsumption problem, but were easily able to point to overconsumption by others. Importantly, those whom respondents claimed were hyperconsumers tended to be portrayed more as agents than as victims. Most of the time, it seemed to be someone else’s problem—and someone else’s fault.

Loss of inner values was seen as a problem

While most respondents felt that they themselves were in touch with their core inner values, they usually felt that many others had often lost sight of those values in the pursuit of overconsumption. When asked to define those core values, most respondents mentioned words and phrases such as “happiness,” “staying balanced” and “making others happy.” Overconsumption was usually seen as a product of an inner emptiness or lack of self-esteem, which an individual attempted to solve (unsuccessfully) through the purchase of material goods. This behavior was seen as doubly destructive, as it often placed individuals into financial hardship, thus decreasing happiness and self-esteem. It is important to note that most did not blame consumerism first as a cause of psychological problems, but blamed psychological problems as a cause of consumerism.

“Keeping up with the Joneses” was seen to blame

When asked to define and give a name to the problem under discussion, a plurality used the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses”. Many others simply said “competition” and “ego”. A couple mentioned the word “consumption” or a variation thereof. Only one respondent mentioned the word “materialism” unaided. This need to maintain consumption equity with one’s neighbors was generally seen as a natural phenomenon, however, more or less central to the human condition, especially in a modern capitalist society. Respondents usually felt that a dedicated effort needed to be made by individuals to avoid falling into the trap of attempting to “keep up with the Joneses” in order to create a sense of meaning in one’s life.

Most indicated an interest in an anti-consumerist organization

After brief discussion of the non-profits and charities with which they were involved or to which they donated, respondents were asked whether they knew of any organization dedicated to helping combat materialism. All but one said they knew of no such organization. When asked whether they would be interested in such an organization, almost all said that they would be. Usually this desire was expressed with a good deal of enthusiasm. There was a shared perception among respondents that overconsumption was a rampant problem that most did not acknowledge, or that did not receive adequate public attention. The efforts of a dedicated organization were welcome to most respondents.

But interest was not sufficient for dedicated involvement

While respondents felt that an anti-consumerist organization would be beneficial overall and that they personally would be somewhat intrigued by it, most said that they would probably not actively support such an organization with their time and money. When asked why this was the case, the majority seemed to feel that of the many problems and crises facing the world from climate change to food insecurity and a host of other more celebrated causes, fighting materialism was simply not at the top of their list of priorities. This was particularly the case since they did not truly consider hyperconsumers to be victims, and that those afflicted with the problem tended to be well-to-do compared to other distressed populations. Finally, many were unsure how materialism could or would be combated, and what measures could be used to track the success of any efforts made.

Respondents were shown many words and phrases

Respondents were shown thirteen sheets of paper in random order with various words and catchphrases that might be used to help counter consumerism. They were asked to rank their top five favorites and name their two least favorite. The words and phrases were as follows (it was not possible to test an exhaustive list of possibilities): The Satisfaction of Enough, Mindful Consumption, Voluntary Simplicity, Sustainable Consumption, Living Simply, Postconsumers, Satisfied Living, Simple Living, Simpler Living, Redefine Rich, Get Satisfied, Downshifting, Frugality.

“Mindful Consumption” was by far the favorite

“Mindful Consumption” was far and away the favorite tagline, with 7 of 10 respondents placing it as either their first or second favorite. This was for two reasons: first, the word “consumption” was seen as clearly articulating the central issue in a way that concepts centering around simplicity and satisfaction did not. Second, the word “mindful” carried a sense of balance and intentionality not present in most other taglines except for “Voluntary Simplicity,” which seemed fundamentalist and austere to many. Similarly, “Sustainable Consumption” was the third favorite overall. While it lacked the positive traits brought by the word “mindful,” the idea of sustainability brought environmental concerns to mind in a beneficial way for some, and was directly related to the idea of consumption.

“Living Simply” was 2nd favorite

“Living Simply” was the 2nd favorite overall, beating out variations “Simple Living” and “Simpler Living” by fair margins. Most respondents could not clearly articulate this preference, but it seemed mostly to stem from emphasis on the word “living,” which tended to emphasize a direct action and intentionality of lifestyle. Most respondents had positive associations with the words “simplicity” and “simple” overall, though some were concerned that they were overly vague and perhaps too austere-sounding for a materialistic culture. When respondents were told at the end of the research that the sponsoring organization was called “Simple Living America,” they felt that the title was fine, and stated that the title would not detract from their interest in the organization or lack thereof in any way.

“The Satisfaction of Enough” was also somewhat popular

“The Satisfaction of Enough” came in 4th place. Respondents liked the reinforcement of the idea of satisfaction and the word “enough.” Several felt that this was distinctly preferable to the variations on the word “simple,” which was seen as austere. Satisfaction seemed, rather, to entail fulfillment and contentment. The problem with “Satisfaction” and its variations, however, was in its vagueness. Many felt that it did not adequately describe an anti-materialistic organization. “Frugality” and “Downshifting” were the least liked of all, as they seemed to imply negativity and privation to most respondents.

The entire SLA newsletter is posted at the main site here. Additional columns from the newsletter will be posted at this blog in coming days.

A Greener Library, A Greener You Summer 2009 newsletter column

2009-08-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

A Greener Library, A Greener You
By Wanda Urbanska

On July 12, I was privileged to be an auditorium speaker at the American Library Association annual meeting in Chicago. My topic: "A Greener Library, A Greener You." Though I’ve spoken frequently during the 23 years since publishing my first book, I can honestly say that I’ve never felt better about a presentation. Maybe I’m getting more comfortable at the podium with age. Maybe it was the subject, for which the time has finally come. I’m sure the audience played a part, as this group of astute and forward-thinking librarians was self-selected by their interest in environmental stewardship to roll out of bed on a Sunday morning. Maybe the stars were lined up because we were in Chicago — a city that is working overtime to make its name as a “green” city.

Whatever the case, when the appointed hour — 10:30 on Sunday morning — rolled around, a large crowd had gathered in the auditorium, with a number of folks coming in 40 minutes early to get good seats. Leonard Kniffel, editor in chief of American Libraries magazine, offered a masterful and eloquent introduction. I carried to the podium some beautiful flowers given to me at dinner Friday night by the writer Wesley Adamczyk, author of When God Looked the Other Way: An Odyssey of War, Exile, and Redemption (University of Chicago: 2004). Having that touch of nature with its sweet aroma and the well-wishes that accompanied it cheered me on as I presented.

I told those gathered that the era of overconsumption in America is over, that the disease of our American affluence, affluenza, is on its death bed. I bolstered these points by citing evidence in rapidly changing behavioral patterns in our country: we’re driving less, saving more, and putting more thought into such issues as food security and energy efficiency. Drawing on the research I’d done for several articles for American Libraries magazine on the topic, I cited the “best practices” of librarians who are “going green.” I talked about Louise Schaper at the Fayetteville Public Library in Arkansas, a LEED-certified silver building, in which the green revolution is an on-going process.

With my Power Point, I showed how the Fayetteville library was reducing its energy consumption with new technologies like "thin clients," how decision-makers there eliminated contract cleaning services, replacing them with in-house staff who use non-toxic natural cleaning products, and how Louise herself models numerous behaviors for her staff and clients. I poked fun at David Siders of Cincinnati, who lives so close to the Popular Library downtown that he can walk to work in his pajamas. (For his part, David cooperated, by posing for a playful photo for me, in PJs, no less!) We looked at green programming around the country, at efforts to recycle paper, books, and bike to work.

During question and answer period, folks asked for strategies about how to get procurement to pay more for recycled content products, for instance, when some grinch with an eye on the bottom line throws back requests insisting on the lowest price item. Fred Stoss, the librarian from the University Buffalo who heads up the ALA Task Force on the Environment, offered smart ideas for affecting change. Another visionary librarian suggested writing a press release to the powers that be showing the great press they would receive by making a public commitment to eco-friendly practices.

After it was all over, a line of librarians snaked around the hallway in McCormick Place waiting for autographs for my newly released anthology, Less is More, co-edited with Cecile Andrews. I signed every one with the optimism of feeling that that morning had made a difference, that together we’re on an unstoppable path to change. “I’m giving this book to my daughter,” one librarian said. "She lives the way you describe. She bikes to work and cooks from scratch. It’s not always easy, but I know Less is More will make her feel that she’s on the right path."

Wanda's presentation at the ALA meeting can be viewed here.

The entire SLA newsletter is posted at the main site here. Additional columns from the newsletter will be posted at this blog in coming days.

Get Satisfied...... by Mike Swofford

2009-08-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

Simple Living America NewsSummer 2009 newsletter column

2009-08-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

Simple Living America News
By Carol Holst

This is a very unique edition of our newsletter! The summary report of the “Exploratory Research on Materialism” conducted by The Pollux Group market research firm, announced in the last newsletter, is posted in full after the articles. Wow, there’s nothing like understanding and reaching people where they are, rather than simply where we are (utilizing a very small near-mainstream sample). Contact me at 877-Unstuff or carol@simplelivingamerica.org with any questions or feedback on this important study heading us beyond consumerism.

Just ahead in this newsletter you will find Wanda Urbanska’s inspiring column, Mike Swofford’s new Get Satisfied cartoon and Michael Beck's tribute to American Mania. Then dig into words of wisdom from Cecile Andrews and Frank Levering, followed by your chance to own a free copy of Consume This Movie! just by winking at me. Keep scrolling to grab all the info on Cecile’s and Wanda’s brand-new book, Less is More, as well as Take Back Your Time’s “Vacation Matters Summit” which is almost here. Finally, our “Outside the Covers” Get Satisfied submission this issue is from Kevin Howell in Delphi, Indiana.

Remaining 2009 Simple Living America Guest Speaker Conference Calls, free to members:

*August 13, 5:00 pm PDT - John de Graaf - “Vacation Matters Summit: Savoring the Results”

*September 9, 5:00 pm PDT - Cecile Andrews - “Less is More: What Brings People Real Happiness?”

*October - date to be announced - Vicki Robin

*November - date to be announced - Duane Elgin

*December - date to be announced - Group Discussion: “Collaborating on What We’ve Learned & Where to Go from Here”

The entire SLA newsletter is posted at the main site here. Additional columns from the newsletter will be posted at this blog in coming days.

Simple Living America Guest Speakers Program

2009-07-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

Simple Living America members are invited to talk with celebrated author and producer John de Graaf.

John will be speaking with us on the topic of "Vacation Matters Summit: Savoring the Results." He is executive director of Take Back Your Time and producer/co-author of Affluenza, among many other distinguished roles.

This one-hour national conference call is free to Simple Living America members on:

Thursday, August 13, 2009
5:00 pm Pacific Time
(6:00 pm Mountain, 7:00 pm Central, 8:00 pm Eastern)

Simple Living America Guest Speakers Program

2009-06-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Simple Living America members are invited to talk with celebrated author Wanda Urbanska.

Wanda will be speaking with us about "Simple Living: A Vision for the Future." She is the host of the Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska national public television series.

This one-hour national conference call is free to Simple Living America members on:

Thursday, July 23, 2009
7:00 pm Eastern Time
(4:00pm Pacific, 5:00 pm Mountain, 6:00 pm Central)

National Vacation Matters Summit, August 10-12

2009-06-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

Mark the dates and make your reservations now
NATIONAL VACATION MATTERS SUMMIT

Mon, Aug. 10 to Wed, Aug. 12, 2009
at Seattle University
Seattle, WA

Space is limited. Until July 1, the registration fee is $95 and $45 for students. Media passes are available - email jodg@comcast.net. Tickets can be purchased online from Brown Paper Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/62819 . You are also welcome to register directly with TAKE BACK YOUR TIME. Simply send a check payable to TBYT/Vacation Summit to: Take Back Your Time, PO Box 18652, Seattle, WA 98109. Add your email address for confirmation. Otherwise, we will have a name tag and conference materials waiting for you at the registration desk at the beginning of the Summit.

WHY THIS CONFERENCE? WHY NOW?

Studies show that vacations are essential to physical and mental health. They provide the strongest of family-bonding memories. They improve workplace productivity and prevent burnout. They increase international contact and understanding. They offer opportunities for spiritual growth and joyful play. They provide employment and business opportunities in the travel industry. But the United States is the only industrial country that does not guarantee some vacation time by law, and Americans get less vacation time than people in almost any other country of the world.

Times of economic crisis like the one we face today are also opportunities to envision the kind of economy and life we really want and to ask what really matters when it comes to quality of life. Just as the Great Depression led to the forty-hour week and the expansion of the middle class, these new hard times can lead us to new choices that honor the need for balance and leisure in our lives.

The Vacation Matters Summit is about learning and sharing what we know about the value of leisure travel and vacation time. We’ll be bringing together more than three hundred experts, researchers, advocates, stakeholders and interested citizens for the first-ever national gathering about the importance of vacation time. The program starts Monday evening with a welcome and reception and continues until early Wednesday afternoon. It includes eight plenary speakers and at least fifty workshop presenters.

We are still looking for workshop presenters and will be accepting proposals. Email jodg@comcast.net if you are interested in presenting and John de Graaf will forward the information to the workshop committee. The registration fee for presenters will be $25. Accommodations and meals are available for all upon request. The Summit begins at 6 pm on Monday, August 10 and ends at 2 pm on Wednesday, August 12.

Here’s a sampling of the presentations you’ll hear:

The Business Case for More Vacation Time
Vacations: A Matter of Social Justice
Vacations and International Understanding: the Case of Hosteling
Simple Vacations
Volunteer Vacations
The Impact of Vacations on Workplace Stress and Health
A Short History of the Family Vacation
Vacations and Family Memories
Why do Americans give up so much vacation time?
Labor’s stake in more vacation time
Using the Economic Stimulus to guarantee more vacation time
The Economic Crisis as an opportunity to re-think what matters
Vacations and Nature Deficit Disorder
Culture Shift: From Valuing Stuff to Valuing Time
Pilgrimage and the Spiritual Value of Vacations

And many more…

Your Money or Your Life conference

2009-06-02T05:55:00.000-07:00

YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE:
LIVING A LIFE YOU LOVE WITH THE MONEY YOU HAVE
(No matter if you have a lot or a little)

VICKI ROBIN & MONIQUE TILFORD
June 12-14, 2009
Rowe Conference Center, Rowe, MA
(in the Berkshires)
More info: www.yourmoneyoryourlife.info

How is money treating you? How are you treating it? Do you have enough? Will you ever? Do you know what money is? How it works? How to make it work for you? Are you confused about what is good spending: local vs. green vs. frugal vs. abundant vs. “I want it”?

We each need to reexamine our relationship with money. If you’re looking for a way out of debt, a way to live a life you love on the money you have, a way to a secure financial footing, a way to transform your wealth into well-being, this weekend workshop is for you.

Since 1992 Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin’s The New York Times’ best-selling book, Your Money or Your Life, has helped hundreds of thousands of people achieve financial intelligence, integrity, and independence. Now, 12 years after Joe’s death, Vicki has revised and updated the book with the help of Monique Tilford (pictured on the right above).

Change the way you think about, spend, and save money. Recover from poor choices in the past. Manage your finances better. Live more meaningfully. Plan for your future. No matter what the economy throws your way, Your Money or Your Life provides proven tools and powerful teachings. This workshop will cover the complete 9-step program and include lecture, exercises, journaling, and talking with one another about the most taboo subject on the planet.

Uncovering myths about money and the design of the money system is challenging. You will be invited to look clearly at every aspect of our money life and realign your earning, spending, saving, and giving. Getting honest and smart about money can bring a smile to your face today and peace of mind tomorrow.

All are invited – from newcomers to people currently doing the Financial Independence steps to those who want to teach this program. It will be beneficial if you can read the book before attending, including tracking your money, ideally for at least a month. Bring your questions and confusions, your works in progress, and your innovative solutions. It is all grist for the transformation mill.

Vicki Robin wrote Your Money or Your Life with Joe Dominguez and Vicki has served as the program’s primary spokesperson for almost two decades. Called the prophet of “consumption-downsizers” by the NY Times, Vicki has lectured worldwide and appeared in various print and broadcast media including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and more.

Monique Tilford has worked for nearly 20 years on sustainable consumption and environmental issues, helping promote Your Money or Your Life for 17 years, and worked for nearly ten years with the Center for a New American Dream.

Outside the Covers: Honoring Other GET SATISFIED Stories Spring 2009 newsletter column

2009-05-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

Each Simple Living America newsletter highlights one of the 500 diverse samples received about “the satisfaction of enough” that is not included inside the covers of our book. Post your own story at www.getsatisfied.org/post.

Featured writer this issue:
Susan Bernstein in San Rafael, CA at www.workfromwithin.com

In 1994, with my MBA and a hefty signing bonus in hand, I proudly set off into the world as a newly-minted strategy consultant with a prestigious management consulting firm. Sure, I'd heard that the jags of working 80 to 100 hour workweeks five days a week -- often in out-of-town locations -- could induce burnout. But I figured I was smart and resilient enough to handle the lifestyle. Advising senior executives of major Fortune 500 clients sounded glamorous, and that six-figure salary seemed more than enough to cover any frustrations I'd have.

Over the next five years, I got married, moved into a multi-million dollar home and bought a big fancy SUV, accumulated a closet full of clothes, and treated myself to expensive meals. I now see that I had a disease. Affluenza. If I arrived home late from a client meeting, I'd buy myself a little trinket to feel better. If I didn't have enough time to wash clothes on the weekend, I figured I had enough money to pick up some new ones at mall. My dis-ease was a lack of ease with being totally pressed for time and totally depressed about not being myself. It was also a deep longing for meaningful human contact. My husband was a maven at making money, but didn't share my desire for emotional intimacy. And I certainly wasn't going to find that in my work, crafting strategies for major corporations. With few exceptions, the busy executives I served wanted to talk business and bottom-line, not emotions and authenticity.

I wasn't truly happy. But I couldn't admit that to myself. Instead, I thought I was some kind of failure for not being content with what seemed like the "right" career, the "right" neighborhood, the "right" attire. I suppose I could have listened earlier to the migraines and stomach pains. I see them now as signals of my distress. But I was afraid that giving up what I'd worked so hard for would leave me a bag lady. I imagined aimlessly walking barefoot through parks, begging for coins.

Far from it, although I had to pass through a life transformation -- in just five weeks -- to learn that the opposite of affluenza was not starvation. In early 2001, my marriage crumbled, my job evaporated, my health deteriorated, and my close-knit family experienced a major crisis. I tried making detailed plans for the future -- this the expertise I'd honed in my working life. But in the face of so much change, I could barely forecast what each new day would bring. Somehow, I kept moving — figuratively and literally — through the chaos.

Instead of living in the streets, as I had desperately feared, I discovered that I could find my direction. And I could navigate my life in a new and satisfying way. Rather than following a linear, prescribed path, I began to listen to my inner wisdom by paying attention to my body as well as my mind. By listening to my body — from the inside out — I learned what I needed to be comfortable and flexible in the world. By focusing on my breathing, I began to sense when I felt anxious about the future and could take a deeper breath and re-center myself in the present moment. By taking the time to notice how my arms or my head or any body part felt, I could listen to my body’s messages about what I needed at any given moment. By being authentic with myself, I somehow attracted others who also craved authenticity and meaning. In a few months, I enjoyed companionship with a new community of friends and savored long conversations, hikes, and deep connection.

Having discovered internal simplification, external simplification organically followed. I moved out of a 2500 square foot house and rented a much smaller flat. With this simple home, the most important feature I wanted was views of nature all around, which helps me feel at ease. Living with greenery reminds me to focus on the basics. My heart guided me to craft a life around what I'd found most meaningful -- listening to and following inner awareness. While I could have taken a job in marketing or executive development, I elected to create my own coaching practice, guiding clients how to find their "work from within." I currently work four days a week, making a fraction of what I did in management consulting. But now, I am blessed with so many things that I denied myself. Now, I have time for myself and others. I can take classes without worrying that I'll be sent out of town. I have time to hang out with friends or have a conversation when someone needs me. I'm filled with energy to pursue hobbies. I enjoy the space to breathe and the ability to reach out and touch others.

The entire SLA newsletter is posted at the main site here. Additional columns from the newsletter will be posted at this blog in coming days.

How Optimistic Are You These Days? Spring 2009 newsletter column

2009-05-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

How Optimistic Are You These Days?
By Frank Levering

In lean times, how's your optimism these days? No, not with regard to your own personal finances, or on a macro scale, regarding the likelihood of some degree of global economic recovery. Rather, how optimistic are you that the global recession and the raft of layoffs, bankruptcies, and foreclosures will give much wider traction to the simplicity ethic? Will leaner times usher in an expansion of consciousness?

Are you like me? One day I wake up thinking, now, finally, when it comes to these values we cherish, necessity will be the mother of invention. As a species -- as a culture -- as more enlightened individuals, we'll embrace what every spiritual tradition has long argued, if sporadically practiced: that simplicity is indeed salvation. As the Dalai Lama put it, "If one's life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness." On days like this, I am sanguine with the notion that most of us will now grasp, at long last, another one of the Dalai Lama's insights: that "not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck." On the winds of grasped truths like these, we'll sail into a new era, an Age of Aquarius for simple living.

And on the next day....I wake up skeptical as hell. Call it what you will -- human nature -- estrangement from both common sense and spiritual insight -- oh heck, just call it greed -- this old, dark beast will drag us all under again. On days like this, we human beings, I think, are just biding our time for the next opportunity for self-aggrandizement. Greed will rise again, always a stronger force in our nature than those nobler yearnings in that Age of Aquarius that never was.

I guess I've been reading the Dalai Lama lately. For those of us who champion simplicity, the drama of our moment can be summed up in how we respond to another one of his show-stoppers: "When you lose, don't lose the lesson."

It's a bracing line, isn't it? Certainly I've had my share of losses -- bitter defeats and disappointments, just like Joe over there, the guy next to me crying into his beer at the bar. How often have I lost the lesson? Too often, surely. And if our culture has now suffered a loss -- a material loss, a loss of our swagger -- what would possibly lead us to suppose that we'll learn anything from it that endures? There's human nature again: Isn't it more likely we'll simply try to regain what we've lost? Try to return to Camelot, no matter how chimerical that shimmering world may really have been? How optimistic are you that we won't lose the lesson?

These questions reverberate in a recent column in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution by David E. Shi. Shi, an historian who is now president of Furman University in South Carolina, as many of you know is the author of a landmark study, The Simple Life, first published in the 1980s. Tracing the history in American life of the simplicity ethic, Shi concluded -- as he does again in his column -- that only a minority of Americans are ever likely to embrace simplicity. Counter impulses, he argues, are too strong for simplicity's core values to permeate our society. But Shi, himself -- like many of us -- a situational practitioner of simplicity, insists that simplicity as an ideal has long enjoyed a broader appeal when economic times are bleak. And in his column, titled "Americans May Come to Cherish Their Forced Frugality," he envisions again the "silver lining" of "forced frugality": "Some people will decide that simpler, more sustainable modes of living are preferable to their old habits of careless consumption. They will come to relish the joy of having enough -- and not needing more."

So who has a crystal ball here? Do you? Do any of us who call Simple Living America and its current (arguably) minority ethic home? How optimistic are you that -- like some improbable future scenario for Democrats in Oklahoma -- where Obama failed to carry a single county -- someday we'll find our goals championed by the majority? Or do you agree with Shi that "historically, such periods of pinched frugality don't last very long. Once the economy recovers, most people revert to traditional patterns of carefree consumption and cascading debt. The spendthrift pattern of the last decade will probably rebound."

Whatever your answers -- which, if like mine, may include an element of schizophrenia -- these are interesting times, aren't they? Shi, perhaps more burdened than most of us by the often inconvenient facts of cultural history, certainly did our cause a favor when he concluded to his metropolitan Atlanta readers: "In essence, life is a series of choices. Although often buffeted by forces beyond our control, most of us have choices: We can keep yearning for more or we can resolve to be content with less. Choose well."

We can only hope that -- as we continue to steel our resolve and fight the good fight among our peers -- more and more of us will "choose well."

The entire SLA newsletter is posted at the main site here. Additional columns from the newsletter will be posted at this blog in coming days.

Getting Rid of Time Wasters Spring 2009 newsletter column

2009-05-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

Getting Rid of Time Wasters
By Cecile Andrews

We tend to think of Voluntary Simplicity mainly in terms of saving money, but saving time is central as well. One fruitful way to save time is to get rid of time wasters. Do you know what yours are? Let me share mine with you.

Lower your standards

Are your standards too high? I've always advocated lowering our housekeeping standards. For instance, I used to suggest that people don’t need to change their bed sheets each week like our mothers did. (After all, we take more showers!) I stopped recommending that, though, because once a woman came up to me and asked, "Aren't you the woman who never changes her sheets?"

Although I've quit mentioning that particular time waster, I still think we should lower our standards. Consider these:

Do you really need to fold all your clothes? Why not just stuff things in your drawers — who ever sees the inside of your drawers? Or, forget about the drawers and just leave your laundry basket in your closet and paw through it to find your underwear each morning.

And you don't really need to wash your clothes as much. Just wear black!

The Voluntary Simplicity excuse

If you want to get out of more time wasters, tell people that you are involved in the voluntary simplicity movement. They don't expect much from you then. I used to feel embarrassed that my kitchen wasn't remodeled, but then I realized that no one expected it from me. When people saw my old-fashioned kitchen, they just figured you didn't remodel if you were living simply.

The same thing goes for grooming and makeup. Who expects a "simple liver" to look really well turned out! I've always tried to do just enough grooming to "pass" – just enough so as to avoid any comments. After all, people just get used to what you look like and don't notice any more.

And I feel the same way about my dog. Most people spend a lot of money on getting their Bichons groomed because their hair grows so fast and long. But I cut my Bichon's hair myself. Why should she be better groomed than I am?

Don't develop any skills

I get out of a lot of things because I just don't know how to do much. I learned this early in my marriage when I washed some of my husband's clothes and the colors ran onto each other. He asked me to never wash his clothes again. Actually, he's gradually taken over most of the work in our lives because he doesn't think I can do it right. (Too bad for him. I get a lot more reading done!)

Further, since I can't cook, no one expects much of me at a potluck. I can get away with taking bread every time. One summer I took the same watermelon to several potlucks. When dessert came around, everyone picked the ready-made desserts instead of cutting up the watermelon. I saved a lot of time that summer.

Be lazy

I like having people over, but entertaining can be a lot of work. Instead of elaborate entertaining, we invite people over to watch movies and just serve popcorn. (Actually, a friend brings the popcorn and his popper.)

A lot of people don't entertain because they think their house doesn't look good enough. I try to never have mine look too perfect, and I know it makes others feel more comfortable. No one minds having us back because I set such a low standard.

Get out of the things you don't like to do

Be ruthless. Look at all the things you don’t like to do and ask what would happen if you didn't do them. For instance, what would happen if you didn't clean your car very often? By now, if you adopt my other suggestions, no one expects much from you at all!

Think about your "to do" list. Sometimes I think that the high point of our lives is crossing something off our list. Isn't that a sad commentary? Is that as good as it gets? So, I recommend crossing things off of your list even if you haven't done them.

In case you're starting to feel guilty about being too lazy, at the end of your day you could add to your list the things that you've done: Ate dinner, watched television, went to bed. Or be more detailed. One person had on their list: Get out of bed; have coffee; take a shower; drive to work; say hello to co-workers; turn on computer; check time.

Boy, this person would feel really good about themselves by the end of the day.

So, I hope this helps you with your time management. Voluntary Simplicity is basically figuring out how to enjoy yourself more. Print out this list and show it to people if they give you any trouble.

The entire SLA newsletter is posted at the main site here. Additional columns from the newsletter will be posted at this blog in coming days.

Simple Living America Guest Speakers Program

2009-05-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

Simple Living America members are invited to talk with psychologist Yukio Okano, Ph.D.

Dr. Okano will be speaking with us about "Voluntary Simplicity and Mental Health: What the Research Tells Us." He is a Kaiser Permanente Clinical Psychologist and was the primary organizer of major Kaiser sessions on this overall topic described at www.getsatisfied.org/science.

This one-hour national conference call is free to Simple Living America members on:

Monday, June 22, 2009
5:00 pm Pacific Time
(6:00 pm Mountain, 7:00 pm Central, 8:00 pm Eastern)

Drs. Whybrow, Benson and Kasser Grace Our Conference Calls Spring 2009 newsletter column

2009-05-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Drs. Whybrow, Benson and Kasser Grace Our Conference Calls
By Michael Beck

Mental health vs. materialism took center stage at Simple Living America this year as we inaugurated our monthly membership conference calls, the first three of which featured the above speakers. I have long believed that simple living underlies psychological well-being. I was struck nevertheless by how often one concept – the pathological effects of runaway materialism – emerged from these conversations. Though I can only speak for myself, I would have to say this common thread was, if anything, reinforced by the radically different tone and focus taken by each of our expert guests.

Simply put, rampant consumerism corrodes the psychic and spiritual moorings of our society and has increasingly come to do so over the last few decades. Here are some impressions I carried away from the calls.

Dr. Peter Whybrow (American Mania: When More Is Not Enough). Consumerism has morphed into ideology, the reverse of the earlier idea that free markets were supposed to serve the community. Our brains’ reward pathways originally evolved to maximize our survival and advancement as a species, but these days technology has so perfected the marketing of instant gratification that it has hijacked those pathways. As Dr. Whybrow puts it, our uniquely human executive brain has been placed in thrall to the lizard brain.

Dr. April Benson (To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop). Society has suffered from a widening of the ‘aspiration gap,’ which during the 90’s shifted the focus from keeping up with the Joneses to fixating on the lives of the rich and famous. This has created an excruciating longing which only exaggerates the emotional and spiritual poverty that drives compulsive shopping. Dr. Benson estimates as many as 18 million Americans are clinically addicted.

Dr. Tim Kasser (The High Price of Materialism) tracks the sociological damage of materialism. Consumerism packs such a wallop because it has taken on the power of a religion – a religion, unfortunately, which glorifies exterior values to the exclusion of interior ones. The many robust and cross-cultural studies documented by Dr. Kasser reveal a triple whammy: People whose lives revolve around status and possessions not only suffer from lower self-esteem, they also tend to undermine community ties and to more readily pollute the environment.

As I listened to the expertise of our guest speakers and the thoughtfulness of the participants’ questions, a picture began to crystallize in my mind of a society being overrun by mental pathology. Think about it. Consumerism has become our national organizing principle, commandeering not just our economy, but our politics, our media, our social lives, even the very layout of our communities.

This brings me to the most sobering question that arose during these conversations. When asked why such pernicious fallout wasn’t getting more attention, our guest speakers each pointed to one or more of the methods used by our most powerful institutions to co-opt the natural drives of human nature in order to internalize consumerism in the national psyche. We’re looking at values which are not just absolute but unconsciously held: in effect we’re dealing with something beyond the equivalent of religion. We’re dealing with fundamentalism. Let me caution, however, that this is my personal take on the discussion, not a reflection of the actual positions of our guest speakers.

Before the current economic meltdown, I would have thought that the movers and shakers of society should be capable of following at least a little more of a moral compass. I no longer think so because it doesn’t appear they could even follow the straight trajectory of their own long-term self aggrandizement. For sure, quite a few escaped just before the collapse with their full pots of gold. But the majority took big hits, and some can now claim no pot at all except the one furnished behind bars. As for the majority of average citizens, millions have lost their life savings, to say nothing of the millions more who’ve lost not just that but their jobs and homes as well. The seductive ideology that promised heaven delivered the exact opposite.

The meltdown hovered in the background of all three calls, an ashen thunderhead that nonetheless allows a ray of hope to shine through all the wreckage. This crisis could force our country to reconsider whether it truly wishes to erect its well-being upon perishable piles of stuff. If such a reconsideration does indeed take place, we here at Simple Living America – and all those allied with us – stand ready with the tools, among them The Satisfaction of Enough, to carve out a new path.

The entire SLA newsletter is posted at the main site here. Additional columns from the newsletter will be posted at this blog in coming days.

Get Satisfied...... by Mike Swofford

2009-05-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

Natural Burial and the Season of Rebirth Spring 2009 newsletter column

2009-05-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

Natural Burial and the Season of Rebirth
By Wanda Urbanska

A couple of weeks ago, my sister Jane and I had the privilege of hearing one of America’s foremost advocates of green burial, the writer Mark Harris, speak to a large, engaged audience at First Lutheran Church in Greensboro. Harris told us that in today, cemeteries are less “bucolic resting grounds for the dead” than toxic dumps. The conventional body preparation and burial process is a grisly, resource-intensive practice that extracts bodily fluids from the deceased and pumps into the cadaver a formaldehyde-based formula for preservation. After the embalming, the corpse is dressed, made up, and laid out for public viewing. Then it’s placed into a casket, which is usually constructed of chemically treated wood and metal, which itself is secured in an outer liner. The whole process is meant to preserve the cadaver for as long as possible with negligible concern for the environmental impact on the land on which cemeteries are located. When this process is multiplied by the millions, the overall environmental impact is enormous, an infrequently mentioned culprit in our rapidly warming world.

I’ve long been aware of the terrible financial strain that the American way of death imposes on families. All but the most affluent among us are hit hard by the high cost of a conventional burial, including embalming, viewings, pricey coffins, headstone and the burial plot. A price tag averaging around $10,000 is daunting to families — coming at a time when they’re least prepared to explore alternative arrangements or engage in financial negotiations. Many families are made to feel that the amount they spend on the deceased is somehow a reflection of the regard they had for that person, a public statement of their concern for the deceased, as well as an indicator of the family’s position in the world.

I had always assumed that cremation was the most eco-friendly (and lowest-cost) option. But in his presentation and book, Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial (Scribner: 2007), Harris makes it clear that a "natural burial" is superior to cremation (though cremation is better than a conventional burial). Natural green burial can involve a ritualistic cleaning and wrapping the body in a shroud, cloth or simple, untreated wooden (or cardboard) box and laying it into a shallow grave where the body can return to the elements that gave it life. It’s the way Americans were buried in the past.

The evening presentation and day-long workshop that followed were arranged by my friend of three decades, Holly Stevens, project leader for Undertaken With Love: A Home Funeral Guide for Congregations and Communities (hstevens@homefuneralmanual.org). Holly has been living with cancer for one-third of her life. "I live with the assumption that if there is anything I want to accomplish with my life, it needs to be done on a six-month time frame," she wrote me recently. The accomplishments she’s attained while battling and coping with cancer are many. Perhaps it’s the sense that she’s here on a short string that infuses her life with unbelievable energy, vitality and passion — something from which the rest of us can learn. When I received an email from Holly alerting me to this upcoming presentation, I put it on the calendar. And I'm so grateful that I made the time to hear this important message and learn something new and important.

Spring represents the ultimate celebration of death and resurrection. There is no better moment than this one to consider our own passing, or the end of life of our loved ones, than on this delightful season of daffodils, tulips, and rebirth. With life comes death. Surely embracing natural burial alternatives can only help to bring nature closer, to bring it back into our lives.

The entire SLA newsletter is posted at the main site here. Additional columns from the newsletter will be posted at this blog in coming days.

Simple Living America UpdateSpring 2009 newsletter column

2009-04-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Simple Living America Update
By Carol Holst

Many have now received our only membership renewal letter each spring, so please click on www.getsatisfied.org/join or send in the form to make it possible for Simple Living America’s work to continue toward the mainstream and begin to have costs covered (all donations tax-deductible). The splendid new line-up below of mental health and simple living experts in our free monthly 2009 conference calls is a popular membership benefit, along with all elements of the Get Satisfied campaign. Also, new market research has been commissioned that is analyzing the viability of selected key phrases used to counter consumerism among near-mainstream

U.S.

respondents. Results will be published this year in order to help build our movement, in addition to ongoing simplicity measurement scale research that broadly defines simple living as The Satisfaction of Enough.

The newsletter below is a delicious treat -- I laughed until I cried at Cecile Andrews’ hilarious column and I cried until I laughed at Wanda Urbanska’s heartfelt piece. I was knocked off my feet by Michael Beck’s column answers and I was anchored to the ground by Frank Levering’s column questions. Toss in arguably the best Get Satisfied cartoon ever by Mike Swofford, plus vital June 12-14 Your Money or Your Life / August 10-12 Vacation Matters events, and you’ve got a whole chocolate cake. April Lane Benson's conversation series in May is chocolate frosting. Don’t forget the chocolate sprinkles in our “Outside the Covers” Get Satisfied submission this issue from Susan Bernstein in San Rafael, CA. As always, your newsletter input is very welcome at 1-877-Unstuff or carol@simplelivingamerica.org (and send chocolate).

Remaining 2009 Simple Living America Guest Speaker Conference Calls, free to members:

*May 18, 2:30 pm PDT - Robert E. Thayer, PhD, Author, Calm Energy - “Managing Moods as Stress and Depression Ramp Up”

*June 22, 5:00 pm PDT - Yukio Okano, PhD, Kaiser Permanente Clinical Psychologist - “Voluntary Simplicity and Mental Health: What the Research Tells Us”

*July - date to be announced - Wanda Urbanska!

*August - date to be announced - John de Graaf!

*September - date to be announced - Cecile Andrews!

*October - date to be announced - Vicki Robin!

*November - date to be announced - Duane Elgin!

*December - date to be announced - Group Discussion: “Collaborating on What We’ve Learned & Where to Go from Here”

The entire SLA newsletter is posted at the main site here. Additional columns from the newsletter will be posted at this blog in coming days.