Learning To Do More With Less
About Simple Living | About The Network
What Is Simple Living?
Simple living — aka voluntary simplicity — has just about as many definitions as there are individuals who practice it. Simple living is not about living in poverty or self-inflicted deprivation. Rather, it is about living an examined life — one in which you have determined what is important, or "enough," for you, discarding the rest.
"Living in a way that is outwardly
simple and inwardly rich."
— Duane Elgin
There are many "flavors" of simplicity. We offer the following articles by Duane Elgin, author of the classic book Voluntary Simplicity, to further illustrate what simple living is — and is not — and how simple living might be an appropriate lifestyle choice for you.
What Is The Simple Living Network?
Since 1996 The Simple Living Network has been providing resources, tools, examples and contacts for conscious, simple, healthy and restorative living. We hope you enjoy your visit as you explore our Community Services and the hundreds of Resources for simple living featured in our on-line directory.
The Simple Living Network is a small, home-based cottage business operating in the Cascade mountain village of Trout Lake, Washington. Our staff is small and mostly volunteer. Our operating expenses are low, allowing us to use a greater percentage of our profit to provide Community Services.
We have purposely chosen to operate as a for-profit corporation in order to model sustainable small business practices. We believe that to be successful in the long-term we must operate through self-funding.
All of our Community Services are user funded without support from government, industry or foundations so that we may remain a stable and independent voice, free from the bureaucratic constraints that often come with the fundraising / nonprofit structure.
This mode of operation also allows us the freedom to adjust quickly in response to the rapidly changing Internet and societal / market conditions. Our path is one of thoughtful, consistent growth, flexibility and longevity.
We are supported solely by modest Resource sales and CyberAngel gift contributions from web site visitors like you who enjoy our Community Services offerings.
We're not here to tell you how to live your life. Our goal is only to present alternatives to the old American Dream of more... faster... bigger... better....
"How you spend your money is
how you vote on what exists in the world."
If you believe we need more stuff and junk produced in third-world countries by underpaid workers and sold by mega-corporations, then we may not have much to offer you.
However, if you believe the world can be a better place if we all take more responsibility for what we consume and how we live our lives, then the path to simple living is probably one you will enjoy following. You'll find many kindred spirits here!
Enjoy your journey,
Dave Wampler
Founder
The Simple Living Network
