25 Simple Living Quotes to Inspire a Calm Life

 

Here are some simple living quotes to inspire an uncomplicated life.  Keeping things simple can seem like a new concept, but some of these quotes were from a long time ago.  Proving it’s always been in style to keep things simple.

Quotes are a great way to stay inspired and know you are not alone on this simple living journey.

As I found each one of these quotes I was reminded of what life should be about. 

Simple living is not always easy, we tend to complicate things for some reason.  But hopefully, you will find these quotes helpful in inspiring a calm life.

 

25 Simple Living Quotes to Inspire a Calm Life

Here are some amazing simple living quotes that make you question what you bring into your life.  Since becoming a minimalist I always question what and how much stuff I have in my life.

“Less is More” Quotes

1. “Stuff is not passive. Stuff wants your time, attention, and allegiance. But you know it as well as I do, life is more important than the things we accumulate.” – Dave Bruno

This is so true!  When I first started decluttering my life it was because I did not want to waste any more time sifting through all my stuff. 

Wasting my attention on a bunch of junk instead of enjoying my time doing something worthwhile.

All of our things take up time.  We have to store them somewhere, clean them, organize them and the list goes on.  Once I started to get rid of the extra stuff I found a lot of extra time.

 

2. “Less is only more where more is no good.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

Sometimes when we say less is more people don’t agree.  But when you add on “where more is no good” it makes perfect sense.  A lot of us have way too much.  More can be just that… more! 

A few examples of when more is just more.  In the kitchen when you are trying to find a certain tool, you have to sift through 30-plus spatulas. 

When you are trying to fit everything into your clothes closet, but there is not one extra inch for another hanger so you buy a set of drawers.

Having more where more is no good can be a burden.

 

3. “Simplicity is the key to brilliance.” – Bruce Lee

When our lives are simple we have time to come up with great ideas!

 

4. “Minimalism is not a lack of something. It’s simply the perfect amount of something.” – Nicholas Burroughs

This is why I always say anyone can be minimalist.  Minimalism does not mean you are depriving yourself and suffering, it just means you live with your perfect amount.

We have two young kids so of course I am going to have more stuff than a single person traveling the world.  Don’t let the ideal vision of minimalism put you off finding your perfect amount. 

Check out some minimalist myths that stop people from simplifying.

 

5. “I make myself rich by making my wants few.” – Thoreau

When I stopped wanting more clothing and became happy with what I had my life felt transformed.  I no longer cared if I was stylish enough or if I was wearing the right thing. 

The crazy thing is the less you want the richer you actually do get.  Suddenly I realized we didn’t need to make more money for the next best thing, we could save our money and stress less.

  

6. “Minimalism is a tool to eliminate life’s excess, focus on the essentials, and find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.” – Joshua Fields Millburn

I have found minimalism to be very freeing.  In our society, we are brought up to think we always need the newest biggest best thing.

The longer we can work with what we already have or use secondhand items the more freedom we have.  We don’t have to constantly work just to pay for all of these upgrades on items that we already had that worked perfectly fine.

For instance, when my car broke down I bought a used van for around 10 thousand dollars cash.  This vehicle works fine and gets me from point A to point B.  If I needed the newest best car then I would have had to spend about 30 thousand dollars and I would have needed a loan.

 

7. “Minimalism is asking why before you buy.” – Francine Jay

I never buy anything without asking myself why I am buying the item and do I really need it.  As a society, we are told we need the latest gadget and how it will make our lives better. 

It is always a good idea to stop and ask yourself why?

There are a few things I do before I make a purchase.  If I am buying something for my home I always ask myself where this item will live in my home.  Do I have something similar that can do the same thing?

Before I make a purchase I always write down what I want to buy and I think about it for a while before I buy.  This helps to avoid impulse buys.

 

Declutter Quotes

We can all use some inspiration to declutter our homes and lives.  Here are some inspiring quotes about decluttering.

8. “Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.” – Barbara Hemphill

We have clutter for a lot of reasons, but a big one is not wanting to deal with the stuff.  It is a lot easier to just make a pile in the corner or throw it in a closet.

Everything we keep or donate is a decision we have to make.  Don’t postpone the decisions any longer.  Either find a place for the items or get rid of them.

I have a decluttering E-book in case you need help making these decisions. 

 

9. “The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.” – Marie Kondo

For the longest time, I would see beautiful homes in magazines and on the internet.  Extremely organized homes that looked calm and orderly.

I couldn’t seem to figure out what I was doing wrong.  No matter how much organizing I did my home always looked unorganized.  This is when I realized I had too much stuff.

Once I started decluttering I realized I too could have a beautifully organized home that functioned well.  It really is a decision that has to be made.

 

10. “Once we give up being attached to the physical possessions, we find the time and freedom to follow bigger dreams.” – Joshua Becker

After I gave up 50% of our belongings I really thought about what I wanted to do with my life.  Did I want to go back to work and put my kids in daycare or start my own business to work from home?  

Once I had a plan for how I wanted my home and life to function it was way easier to decide what I wanted to do with my time.

 

11. “The more you have the more occupied you are.  The less you have the more free you are.” – Mother Theresa

Stuff really does take up time.  Think about how much time and money is spent per year on keeping a car going. 

There is the cost of insurance, oil changes, gas, car washes, and maybe more depending on your car.  Now imagine if you had 3 or 4 cars.

A lot of your time would be spent on these cars.  But this theory does not just apply to cars, it can apply to everything in your life.

With more clothes, you need more space in your closet which may lead you to think you need a larger home. 

Everything we acquire takes time and energy.  Make sure what you have makes you happy and is time well spent.

 

 

12. “You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.” – Louise Smith

This is a great quote to help us let go of our past baggage.  How can we have the adventure of a lifetime if we have to bring our life photos, dolls from when we were little, and books we read as a child?

It’s great to keep some moments from our past, but holding onto too much can weigh us down and hold us back.

 

13. “He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” – Socrates

Being content with less makes it easier to save more money so we don’t have to work more.  Lifestyle creep is a real thing.  The more money we make the more we tend to spend.

My goal is to take that extra money we are not spending on stuff and save it or use it for fun experiences. 

 

Embrace Nature Quotes

Finding joy in nature puts everything in perspective.  We can leave all our stuff behind for a while and go outside to enjoy some clean fresh air.

 

14. “Collect moments, not things.” – Paulo Coelho

A long time ago I had a friend visit me when I was living in NZ.  The whole time she was visiting it seemed her goal was to find a gift for everyone she knew.

Instead of soaking up the moments and the culture she was fixated on getting mementos to remember the trip.  It seemed like we spent more time in stores than in nature.

I would guess her memory of the trip was looking for things to remind her of the trip.

 

15.”All good things are wild and free.” – Henry David Thoreau

The best things in life are free.  Laughing, playing, talking, singing, sleeping all free. 

We work to get money to pay for things we don’t need just so we can have 2 days of freedom to do things that are free.

Yes, we need certain things to live, but the best things really are free.

 

16. “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein

Spending time outside is so important.  Nowadays we are inside glued to our computers, cell phones, and TVs.

Living simply involves removing ourselves from these devices so we can see nature.  Which ironically can be more entertaining than all the devices put together.

 

17. “Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” – Hans Christian Andersen

Yes! Something as simple as sunshine and a flower can change the mood of a day.

 

18. “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir

Whenever I go on a walk I get the best ideas.  Walking interrupts our usual thought pattern and we see different things.

I always get more out of a simple walk than I thought I would. 

 

19. “What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another…” – Mahatma Gandhi

We are currently ruining our planet with all the junk we consume.  This is definitely a reflection on us as people.  We need to rethink the way we are living so we can take care of what really matters.

If we don’t have a planet then we have nowhere to live.  All the stuff in the world is not going to make you happy if there is nowhere to put it.

 

Simple Living Quotes

20. “Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identify the essential. Eliminate the rest.” – Leo Babauta

Whenever I would look for a place to store something in my home it never occurred to me that I could simply get rid of it.

For some reason, if an item entered my home I felt I had to keep it.  I finally realized I could just have less.

Now I see what I am using and get rid of everything extra. 

 

21. “The greatest wealth is to live content with little.” – Plato

When I read this quote I thought of my grandparents.  They lived in a tiny home with all the things they always had.

I guess you could say they had what they needed.  My grandma had a food schedule and routines that she lived by.

They were the happiest people!  When I think about it they must have been very content.

 

22. “Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” – Mother Teresa

This is easier said than done.  But I always strive to be happy at the moment.

 

23. “It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple.” – Steve Jobs

We have a way of over-complicating everything.  When it comes to technology I see this happening all the time.

Instead of pushing one button, we are forced to go through this maze of button-pushing.

Even when it comes to making dinner we are told we have to make complex meal plans for the week.

Simplify everything you can!

 

24. “There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness, and truth.” – Leo Tolstoy

Crazy schedules and homes filled with stuff add to the chaos of life.  Simplify to enjoy the moments in life.

 

25. “People who live far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles can’t fathom.” – Naval Ravikant

I have found living below our means allows us to save more money.  This money isn’t about being rich, it’s about alleviating stress. 

It can be stressful to worry about losing a job or a car breaking down.  But if you live below your means and don’t worry about upgrading your lifestyle it will be easier to live a simple life.

 

Simple Living Quotes Conclusion

Hopefully, some of these simple living quotes will motivate you to simplify your life and focus on what matters to you.

Quotes help me realize I am not the only one looking for a calmer life.  Please share these images and comment below with which quote is your favorite. 

 

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