Last Updated on May 25, 2023 by Lori
I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that the older I get, the faster my days fly by. Sometimes I get so caught up in meaningless activities, that I fail to take the time to truly enjoy all that each day brings. To help consciously slow things down, I’ve collected these 36 quotes about simple living.
I hope you find some special words here that inspire you to live more slowly, consciously, and with greater purpose. In other words, let them lead you to a happier life.
What does it mean to live a simple life?
Wikipedia defines it as “Simple living refers to practices that promote simplicity in one’s lifestyle.”
Simple living is a way to find happiness by focusing on the essentials – as you define them – and reducing excess that is unimportant to your way of living.
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The truth is this: A simple life is about finding the things that are important to you and then creating the simplest pathway to have them in your life.
Bronwen Sciortino
That’s it.
36 Simple Living Quotes For a Happy life
- “A simple life gives birth to more clarity, inner peace, and meaningful relationships.” — Margo Vader
2. “We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.” – Dave Ramsey
3. “Every area in our life that is full of stuff is crowding out relationships. As we get rid of the things that consume our time and stress, we make room for those we love the most.” – Jeff Goins
4. “The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.” – Joshua Becker
5. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius
6. “My new deliberate and slower pace has created a higher quality in my experiences.” ― Lisa J. Shultz
7. “To realise the soothing power of simple life is to find the secret of happiness!” ― Mehmet Murat Ildan
8. “Out of clutter, find simplicity.” — Albert Einstein
9. “Living simply makes loving simple.” – Bell Hooks
10. “If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
11. “The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.” — Paulo Coelho
12. “It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.” ― Seneca
13. “A home with fewer possessions is more spacious, more calming, and more focused on the people who live inside it.” – Joshua Becker
14. “Be a curator of your life. Slowly cut things out until you’re left only with what you love, with what’s necessary, with what makes you happy.” – Leo Babauta
15. “I don’t say no because I am so busy. I say no because I don’t want to be so busy.” – Courtney Carver
16. “Simplicity boils down to two things: identify the essential and eliminate the rest.” – Leo Babauta
17. “When you’re clear about your purpose and your priorities, you can painlessly discard whatever does not support these, whether it’s clutter in your cabinets or commitments on your calendar.” – Victoria Moran
18. “Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.” – Isaac Newton
19. “Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
20. “Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.” – Henry David Thoreau
21. “The less I needed, the better I felt.” ― Charles Bukowski
22. “Simplicity is the nature of great souls.” – Papa Ramadas
23. “I would rather have extra space and extra time than extra stuff.” — Francine Jay
24. “As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.” – Henry David Thoreau
25. “The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go.” – Steve Maraboli
26. “It is what it is, no more, no less, it simply is. Embrace simplicity, life is easier that way.” – Hazel Butterworth
27. “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.” – John Maeda
28. “Instead of thinking I am losing something when I clear clutter, I dwell on what I might gain.” — Lisa J. Shultz
29. “Once we give up being attached to the physical possessions, we find the time and freedom to follow bigger dreams.” — Joshua Becker
30. “Take the time to observe the simple and ponder upon the seemingly insignificant. You’ll find a wealth of depth and beauty.” – Melanie Charlene
31. “All the problems you have are simple. What’s complicated is getting you to see simplicity.” – Meir Ezra
32. “The more we gave up, the more we gained.” – Courtney Ellis
33. “May you always value the simple little things in Life. For they make a big difference and hence are the most important.” – Omar Cherif
34. “Clutter is the physical manifestation of unmade decisions fueled by procrastination.” — Christina Scalise
35. “Saying yes to happiness means learning to say no to the things and people that stress you out.” ― Thema Davis
36. “Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves.” — Edwin Way Teale
And one more bonus quote that sums everything up perfectly:
“Simplify: say no to the good so you can say yes to the best.” ― Unknown
Read More:
- 5 Simple Steps to Simple Living
- 5 Ways Simple Living Can Make You Happier
- Finding Happiness in Simplicity: 101 Ideas to Make You Smile
- 30 Holiday Simplicity Journal Prompts
Final Thoughts on 36 Simple Living Quotes to Inspire a Happy life
Take your time to let these quotes sink in.
We are all so accustomed to living quickly and frenetically that we don’t always see the value in slowing down.
A simpler life just may be the key we need to build happiness, calm, and purpose in our lives.
Which quote spoke most powerfully to you?
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