If the last year has taught us anything, it is that we need far less than we thought.  Almost overnight our lives changed globally.  Everything we’ve always done and thought we needed, gone.  Suddenly we were in unchartered waters. 

The truth is, for many of us it’s been an amazing time of reflection and personal growth.  After the initial shock of change, the new emerging reality is a gift.  The biggest is the gift of simplicity.  

So many of us have realised just how little we need.  All of the external factors that were a part of our daily lives were, in fact, not necessary.  By having the time and space to reflect on things, it has bought a clarity that is life changing.  We are in a unique situation where the pause button has been hit and we can reinvent ourselves before we start to step out into the world again.

Along with simplicity is a sense of calm.  As a society we are so used to hustling and being busy all of the time.  Rushing from one thing to another and never having enough time.  It’s almost like we wear being busy as a badge of honour.

Now that society in general has changed, so has this need of keeping up appearances and hustling all of the time.   It’s given us all time to stop, take a breath and re-evaluate what is important in our lives.  For many people there is the realisation that there is so much more to life than doing and having so much.  Slowing down for the first time in years makes us see how harmful all of the stress and pressure is on our body and mind.  That there is a better, easier and happier way to live. Rethinking our belief systems to embrace the slow, simple things rather than always looking to do, be and have more.

The truth is that we’ve been misguided for so many years. We really don’t need that much at all.  The down time has given us all a chance to try new things, get back into old hobbies that were put aside and realise we are all closer than you think thanks to amazing technology.

Personally, the gift of time has been perfect.   I’ve always strived to live a simple life and reduce outside influence.  The down time has helped so much and I’ve gained clarity in many areas of life.   My vegetable garden is producing beautifully, I’ve remembered just how much I love my brisk early morning walks in nature and I’ve discovered online Qigong classes.   Technology has allowed me to expand my global business and I’m now reaching more people as we are all more comfortable working online in this new reality.

The biggest gift that comes with this simplicity is the reduction in stress.  There is time to laugh, spend time with our loved ones, exercise and just ‘be’.  In my experience, the more simple things are, the better life is.

image credit:  Samantha Gades, Unsplash