How to Live a Simple and Secure Life: Find your answer in these 3 questions

I was recently asked this question: How do you live a simple and secure life? The question startled me as the two "S" words bumped into one another uncomfortably. My first response was:

Define secure!

Life is not secure!
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If you mean - how do you live simply as in not needing to spend a lot nor have a lot of things, and you’re worrying about financial insecurity by having/earning less…that is an issue you can deal with.

Here are my suggestions for grappling with how you can live a simple and "secure" life in three simple but not necessarily easy, questions.

Why do you want to live simply?
Be clear on your choices. Why do you want to live “simply”?

Are the perceived losses more or less than the perceived gains?

Which values weigh heavier?
Think about aspects of life such as freedom, peace, time, meaning, community, solo time, meaningful work, (the illusion of) financial security, health including eating and exercise, nature, use of resources, etc.

Ask yourself about change
Then, contemplate life and its tenuousness. Think of examples where what you think is always going to be, suddenly isn’t. Observe nature’s cycles. Ask yourself about change.

See where you fall within all these topics and then maybe you will feel clearer about “security” as it relates to “simplicity.”

After all this, which is a big set of assignments and could even take years, I expect you might feel closer to the answer you seek.

I write all about issues of simple living, choices, and the process of living, observing, reflecting and learning on my blog, and in my book, Calling Myself Home: Living Simply, Following Your Heart and What Happens When You Jump, all of which can provide support and accompaniment as you traverse these big and important questions. If you're ready to take a step further into these waters, I recommend my FREE Intentional Living Jumpstart worksheet, which you can sign up to receive, below.