Inside: Simple Living Quotes to Inspire an Intentional Life.
There is something about a great quote that can truly inspire you to take action, isn’t there? When you are wanting to make a change in your life and need some motivation to do it, powerful words can help you to make that leap.
If you want to live life intentionally by creating a simple lifestyle for you and your family, quotes from William Norris, Joshua Becker, Marie Kondo, and more will give you the inspiration and motivation you need to get there.
Simple life quotes to inspire you
I have categorised the quotes according to themes so that you can jump ahead to those that you need most.
About time
“My goal is no longer to get more done, but rather to have less to do.”
Francine Jay
I think this quote sums up the desire to have a simpler life in a nutshell. To step off the treadmill of life, the need to stay busy all of the time, and give in to the idea that actually having less to do is achievable when we prioritise it.
“How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.”
Annie Dillard
If we spend our days rushing around, one day we will look back and realise that our life was made up of those days. We need to assess what is causing us to be busy so we can eliminate the unnecessary.
“I don’t say no because I am so busy. I say no because I don’t want to be so busy.”
Courtney Carver
A great way to live – prioritise down time and don’t allow anything to take that space in your life.
“Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.”
Charles Spurgeon
Our daily lives are driven by our endless to-do lists and commitments, but what if we flipped the script and organised our days and lives by the things we don’t want to do instead?
“A person must be selective with their time and energy because both elements of life are limited.”
Kilroy J. Oldster
Time is a limited resource and we are all running out with every passing minute. Start looking at time as currency, only spend it on things that truly matter to you.
“We need, above all things, to slow down and get ourselves to amble through life instead of to rush through it.”
Alan Watts
What a beautiful life it would be if we slowed down to enjoy the simplest things like a morning walk through the park or to stare up at the moon as it shines bright.
About life
“Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion.”
Toby Mac
Your favourite dress, the tea set from your Grandma – don’t save the best things as you may never find that special occasion to use them. Get them out as often as you can to bring more joy to your life. Make every day the best day.
“The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.”
Joshua Becker
Let go of the heaviness of material possessions to allow you to discover what truly makes you happy in life.
“Happiness is a place between too little and too much”
Finnish Proverb
Similarly, the Swedish idea of Lagom means “just the right amount” or “not too much, not too little”. Finland was considered part of Sweden until the 1800’s and clearly share similar thoughts on where inner peace and happiness can be found.
“If it doesn’t add value to your life, it doesn’t belong in y0ur life.”
Unknown
The minimalist lifestyle focuses on having less stuff so that there is space for everything that adds value to your life. Less is most definitely more.
“The purpose of our lives is to be happy”.
Dalai Lama
And happiness is one of the rewards of the simple life. With less stuff comes less stress and overall improved mental health.
About minimalism
“Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
William Morris
The greatest challenge is finding the strength to let go of your possessions, but this quote gives you the steer on how to decide on what stays and what goes.
“Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.”
Joshua Becker
Intentional living is being clear on what is important to us and living each day with those priorities in mind. By removing excess from your home and life, you free up time to spend however you choose.
“We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.”
Dave Ramsey
One of my favorite quotes I think. Why do we do it? We are constantly sold to and “influenced” on social media. This quote is one of the powerful reminders that we will have a happier life if we stop focusing on what other people are doing and remind ourselves that we already have everything we need.
“The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.”
Marie Kondo
If you want to live your life forever picking up toys off the floor or doing endless loads of washing each day then go ahead, keep buying those things. Or, if you want a more simple life, declutter the excess and reduce your consumption.
“Your home is living space, not storage space.”
Francine Jay
Everything you own takes up physical space in your home and unless you have magic Narnia wardrobes with endless space behind them, you will soon fill your house to the brim. Storage isn’t the issue, the number of items you own is.
“Outer order contributes to inner calm.”
Gretchen Rubin
The best way to create a sense of calm in your life is to create a living space that is calm. It is a well researched point that clutter increases anxiety and stress, so owning fewer things will allow you to reduce the clutter and its affect on your wellbeing.
About gratitude
“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
Being able to appreciate and be thankful for simple things of life is very powerful and something that more people need to learn how to do. Focus on the present moment and simple pleasures in your everyday life and you will soon find they add up to a happy life.
“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.”
Plato
It isn’t possessions that bring joy, but the moments we live by.
“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”
Kristin Armstrong
Make a habit of keeping a gratitude journey, making a note of little things that bring you joy each day. The more you practice, the more you will start to see joy all around you.
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
Robert Brault
And what a wonderful quote to end with. I think it speaks for itself, don’t you?