Several years ago I wrote the following statement in my journal…

“I want a simplified life that is full of joy, fun, peace, meaning, and fulfillment.”

I was in my mid-forties and, even though I loved my life, my life had become more complicated and distracted than I wanted it to be. I wanted to make a change.

So I did.

In their work on simplicity, authors and researchers Milburn & Nicodemus describe a simple lifestyle as “a tool to eliminate life’s excess, focus on the essentials, and find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.” This is the approach that my wife and I took.

We downsized (and weren’t even 50 yet!).

We got rid of stuff we no longer needed.

We decluttered.

We limited our spending even more than we already had.

We focused our spending on experiences rather than things.

We ceased trying to do everything.

We stopped trying to be everything and everywhere for everybody.

We learned to say “no” so that we could say “yes.”

We became more intentional about what matters most in life.

But we still felt that there was another layer of “the simple life” to explore.

That layer, for us, was to choose a life of focus over a life of distraction.

Choosing a deep life, not just a simple life.

So we did.

We have meaningful conversations.

We go for walks.

We worship.

We serve.

We’ve reconnected with old friends.

We invest ourselves in the development of others.

We mentor younger people.

We identified and confirmed our values and beliefs.

We have a clear vision of how we want to spend our lives.

We’ve focused our ambition on God’s Kingdom purposes.

And that’s the key to this “deep simplicity” we are pursuing.

We choose to live for one Master.

We choose to obey one King.

We choose to follow one Lord.

We choose to “seek first the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33), trusting that he will provide what we need most.

And do you know what?

It’s a wonderful life!