Simple Abundance
Living the Authentic Life

Simple abundance is an inner journey a spiritual and practical course in creative living a tapestry of contentment

'Tis a gift to be simple, 'Tis a gift to be free, 'Tis a gift to come down Where we ought to be And when we find ourselves In the place that's right 'Twill be in the valley Of love and delight. --Shaker hymn

Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance

Several years before this book was written, Sarah Ban Breathnach was hurtling herself through life "as if it were an out-of-body experience." She wanted to write a book that would show how to reconcile all longings--deep spiritual and creative longings-- with multiple conflicting commitments in the modern world. In order to write this book, she said she had to do some stock-taking and enter into extreme introspection. During this time, she came up with 6 "practical, creative, and spiritual principles:" Gratitude, Simplicity, Order, Harmony, Beauty, and Joy.

These principles became a catalyst for redefining her life and values. The book evolved from a theme of living a manageable lifestyle to living in a state of grace. "Finding the sacred in the ordinary" parallels Thomas Moore's theme in Care of the Soul.

Ban Breathnach asserts that everyone can live an authentic life by exploring these principles. "The authentic self is the Soul made visible."

"With enlightenment and self-awareness, we can reguide and realign our whole selves: our bodies, by finding new ways of moving and celebrating them and by adding good food in amounts they tell us they need; our souls, our sense of ourselves as good and worthwhile, by connecting them to the earth and to each other." --Diana Roesch

The entry for May 13th is entitled "Honoring the Great Mother." The author refers to meditating on the "Great Mother who can inspire us all; the divine, feminine Spirit of nurturance known as The Goddess, so revered in ancient times and being rediscovered by women today." She mentions the need to seek out the maternal and conforting aspect of Divinity "in order to learn how to mother ourselves." Think about ways you can mother yourself every day.

Voluntary Simplicity, and some links:

One Income Living in a Two Income World
Includes a free e-mail resource produced in conjunction with the web page; the author is the writer of Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month.

The Simple Living Network
Tools and living examples for those who are serious about learning to live a more conscious, simple, healthy and restorative lifestyle.

Simple Living: the Journal of Voluntary Simplicity
A publication inspiring and supporting people to simplify their lives. Includes first-hand stories, articles and networking opportunities.

The Economic Homemaker
ECHO is a place for homemakers to receive help in running a more efficient and money-saving household.

Simple Living
Rachel Carey-Harper tells us that living simply is a way of being that transcends rather than contradicts material needs.

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Image is an excerpt of a work by Mary Engelbreit