The Magic of Summer’s Simple Pleasures

Summer is the time when it really hits me that life is all about the simple pleasures.  It’s not that things slow down as much as I’d like – the “to do” list doesn’t get much shorter and the need to stay focused and productive is still there.

However there’s something about the long days that makes me want to simplify my life and savor the simple pleasures that seem to go unnoticed the rest of the year.  Being present in each moment, taking time to observe and appreciate nature, spending time with loved ones – these are things to take time for in the summer.

These are some of my simple pleasures in summer.

•    Casual Clothing – Summer is a great excuse to wear shorts, sandals and tank tops.  Out with the layers of winter clothing and the practical shoes and in with light and airy garments.

•    Fresh Fruit – Summer is the season for strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, pears, mangoes and a host of other luscious fruits.  I savor them every day.

•    Grilling – Outdoor grilling is something we could do all year round where I live, but we seem to save it for summer.  With grilling comes more family time as we all slow down for a meal together.

•    Outdoor Activities – Biking, swimming and even walking are more fun in summer.  It’s also the season for camping vacations and day excursions to outdoor destinations.

•    Relaxed Reading – This is a worthy summer tradition that needs to be upheld.  Time spent relaxing at the beach or in the backyard is the perfect time for a lightweight novel or magazine.

•    Festivals and Fairs – These tribal gathering are always more enjoyable on a warm summer day.  Your local newspaper or community website will have schedules of fairs, concerts, parades and other special events.  These are great inexpensive or free ways to have fun.

What are your summer pleasures?

Are you making time for them before the summer passes you by? If not, it’s not too late.

In addition to taking time for these pleasures, I also try to take some time to simplify my home and office.  It’s a bit like spring cleaning…postponed.  The early summer is a perfect time to sort, organize and get rid of things.  The warm weather is energizing but not hot enough to cause lethargy.

Simplifying is on a lot of people’s minds these days.  It’s easy to become so busy that life consists of rushing from one commitment to another, feeling stressed out and never slowing down enough to appreciate what we’re doing at any given moment in time.  Even vacations can end up being stressful when they center upon a long “things to see” list.

The desire for a simpler life is not unique to our era.  In the 1970s, a British economist named E.F. Schumacher wrote an influential book called Small is Beautiful in which he predicted that modern economic systems would become unsustainable and that natural resources would eventually be expended.  As a solution, he proposed a system of “Buddhist economics” where individuals are encouraged to do good works for the greater good.  The nation of Bhutan in the Himalayan Mountains is considered by many to be the embodiment of Buddhist economics.  Bhutan has been called the happiest nation in the world; it uses a “Gross National Happiness” measure to define the quality of life for its citizens in different terms than a Gross National Product.

How cool is THAT?

Before Schumacher, there was American poet and naturalist Henry David Thoreau. In the mid-1800s, Thoreau moved to a cabin near rural Walden Pond with the goal of demonstrating simple living and self-sufficiency.  Thoreau chronicled the experience in his now-classic book Walden, where he extols the benefits of living a solitary life close to nature.  He didn’t become a hermit, but he spent a significant amount of time on his own.  He concludes the book with a well known quote, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”

Most of us aren’t able to move to a cabin in the woods, but we can still take some major steps towards simplification.  Even one major change in a too-full life can have a measurable impact.

Here are some ideas on how to begin to simplify in your life starting today…

1.    Rethink your schedule. If your schedule leaves you feeling frazzled at the end of the day, look at your activities and see if you can cut something out.  This may mean shortening your to-do list or putting a hobby or other interest on hold.  Maybe the house won’t be as clean as you’d like, but that’s OK if it frees you up to spend time doing things you love.  Strive to improve your own measure of Gross National Happiness.

2.    Make family and friends a priority. Decide which people in your life are important and make them a priority.  If you spend a lot of time with acquaintances, decide if that’s the best use of your time.  Follow Thoreau’s lead and try spending a few months in your own virtual cabin.

3.    Set aside time for simple pleasures. If you don’t schedule simple pleasures, you may never get to them.  Take some time each day to get outdoors, to enjoy a healthy meal and to really pay attention to your family and friends.

4.    Take life more slowly. Be more aware of the times when you rush around and see if you can slow down your pace.  Eat more slowly, drive more slowly, make “slower” your mantra.  Be present in the moment instead of rushing to the next event.

5.    Don’t rely on “stuff” to make you happy. If you rely on material things to make you happy, you’ll have to work more to get the money to buy them (or you’ll have to worry about your debt when you buy them on credit).  Acquiring more stuff can also mean acquiring more clutter, which leads to more stress for most of us.  Stop the cycle and find ways to be happy that don’t depend on acquiring stuff.  Listen to the music of a different drummer.

Enjoying simple pleasures ultimately comes down to learning how to live in the moment and adopting an overall happier approach to life.  No one says this will be easy for people who find happiness elusive, but making even a single change for a simpler life is a good place to start.

Posted on July 20, 2009