Learn from the world community. Cherish the natural order. Some people refer to this approach as simpler living because they want to stress this is a process not a destination. One such person is Gerald Iverson, the national coordinator of Alternatives, a Christian non-profit group devoted to helping people move toward simplicity. The trend to simpler living in the secular world is called downshifting , Mr. Iverson said.
Some people change where they live.
They buy smaller houses, even move to where the cost of living is lower. Others restructure family life to live on less income, or simply buy and consume less. The primary motivation in all these cases is happiness. There is a sense of joy when you decide to live with less. Voluntary simplicity is about taking personal responsibility for the social, environmental and spiritual consequences of one s purchases and consumption patterns, he said.