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主题札记：
还记得自己上一次感到快乐是什么时候吗？
午后，捧一杯清茶，任暖暖的阳光透过窗户洒在身上，打开音响，听着悠扬悦耳的轻音乐，闭上眼冥想片刻。此时，心静如水，虽身处喧嚣闹市，却能感受到久违的快乐愉悦。原来我们苦苦追寻的快乐有时竟可以如此简单。
或许生活其实很简单，不过是作为当事人的我们将其变得复杂。我们总想着：当我们得到更多、拥有更多时，才会快乐、幸福。殊不知，快乐不在于拥有得多，而在于计较得少。当我们专注于自己真正的“所需”，而非相互攀比之下的“所要”时，即使不富有，也可以享受生活、感受快乐！
适时地返朴归“简”吧！返朴归“简”既是一种生活方式，也是一种生活态度。抛开繁杂和过多的物质束缚，用一颗知足的心去拥抱简单而充实的生活，我们将和快乐不期而遇。简单的快乐，你值得拥有！^_^
——Maisie
My grandparents actively practiced simplicity. They both grew up in very large families and lived through 1)the Great Depression. Saving 2)for a rainy day and avoiding 3)rampant 4)consumerism was integral to their life philosophy. Rather than seeking fulfillment through material items they chose to spend 5)quality time together, with family, and in nature.
Over the years my grandparents noticed dramatic changes in their community. Every year more farmland was devoured to build larger and larger homes. As real estate prices rose many of their neighbors sold their little homes and 6)lots. Soon they were the only small house on the block, surrounded by a 7)sea of 8)McMansions.
My grandparents built and lived in a small 600-square-foot cottage for most of their adult lives. Countless family members encouraged my grandparents to expand their home. But they didn’t want a bigger place. They loved their little home and were content with what they had. For instance: they gardened, repaired their own clothes, and drove the same car for over 15 years. I still remember riding around in their old, green 9)Mercury beast and sleeping in their super tiny guest room.
In many ways, I’ve 10)modeled my life after my grandparents. Through their example I learned an important lesson: It is possible to live a small and fulfilling life. So let’s talk about those ideas…
Save extra cash by living small. Home-ownership is one of the largest expenses in America. By living in a small home, you can save a lot of extra cash. Here’s what David Crook, a Wall Street Journal columnist, has to say about home-ownership: “You can easily end up spending three times the purchase price of a house. Today’s buyer of a typical $300,000 single-family home who takes out a 30-year loan will end up paying the price of the house again just in interest. Add 30 years of property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, regular maintenance and a couple of 11)big-ticket repairs or improvements, and the total cost of buying the home could easily 12)top out at well over $1 million.”
Plant a garden. My grandparents lived in a small home, but had a huge garden. They loved gardening because it reduced their grocery bill, improved their health, and gave them an excuse to be outside. Even if you live in a small home or apartment you don’t have to 13)forgo gardening. Vertical gardening, community gardens, and window farming are all options to consider.
Avoid lifestyle 14)creep. Lifestyle creep is when we try to keep up with the 15)mythical 16)Joneses and end up unhappy and in debt. My grandparents avoided lifestyle creepy by paying for their own home in cash and building it themselves. They also reused and recycled everything. For instance, they drove the same car for over 15 years and didn’t buy anything new until their stuff was worn out.
还记得自己上一次感到快乐是什么时候吗？
午后，捧一杯清茶，任暖暖的阳光透过窗户洒在身上，打开音响，听着悠扬悦耳的轻音乐，闭上眼冥想片刻。此时，心静如水，虽身处喧嚣闹市，却能感受到久违的快乐愉悦。原来我们苦苦追寻的快乐有时竟可以如此简单。
或许生活其实很简单，不过是作为当事人的我们将其变得复杂。我们总想着：当我们得到更多、拥有更多时，才会快乐、幸福。殊不知，快乐不在于拥有得多，而在于计较得少。当我们专注于自己真正的“所需”，而非相互攀比之下的“所要”时，即使不富有，也可以享受生活、感受快乐！
适时地返朴归“简”吧！返朴归“简”既是一种生活方式，也是一种生活态度。抛开繁杂和过多的物质束缚，用一颗知足的心去拥抱简单而充实的生活，我们将和快乐不期而遇。简单的快乐，你值得拥有！^_^
——Maisie
My grandparents actively practiced simplicity. They both grew up in very large families and lived through 1)the Great Depression. Saving 2)for a rainy day and avoiding 3)rampant 4)consumerism was integral to their life philosophy. Rather than seeking fulfillment through material items they chose to spend 5)quality time together, with family, and in nature.
Over the years my grandparents noticed dramatic changes in their community. Every year more farmland was devoured to build larger and larger homes. As real estate prices rose many of their neighbors sold their little homes and 6)lots. Soon they were the only small house on the block, surrounded by a 7)sea of 8)McMansions.
My grandparents built and lived in a small 600-square-foot cottage for most of their adult lives. Countless family members encouraged my grandparents to expand their home. But they didn’t want a bigger place. They loved their little home and were content with what they had. For instance: they gardened, repaired their own clothes, and drove the same car for over 15 years. I still remember riding around in their old, green 9)Mercury beast and sleeping in their super tiny guest room.
In many ways, I’ve 10)modeled my life after my grandparents. Through their example I learned an important lesson: It is possible to live a small and fulfilling life. So let’s talk about those ideas…
Save extra cash by living small. Home-ownership is one of the largest expenses in America. By living in a small home, you can save a lot of extra cash. Here’s what David Crook, a Wall Street Journal columnist, has to say about home-ownership: “You can easily end up spending three times the purchase price of a house. Today’s buyer of a typical $300,000 single-family home who takes out a 30-year loan will end up paying the price of the house again just in interest. Add 30 years of property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, regular maintenance and a couple of 11)big-ticket repairs or improvements, and the total cost of buying the home could easily 12)top out at well over $1 million.”
Plant a garden. My grandparents lived in a small home, but had a huge garden. They loved gardening because it reduced their grocery bill, improved their health, and gave them an excuse to be outside. Even if you live in a small home or apartment you don’t have to 13)forgo gardening. Vertical gardening, community gardens, and window farming are all options to consider.
Avoid lifestyle 14)creep. Lifestyle creep is when we try to keep up with the 15)mythical 16)Joneses and end up unhappy and in debt. My grandparents avoided lifestyle creepy by paying for their own home in cash and building it themselves. They also reused and recycled everything. For instance, they drove the same car for over 15 years and didn’t buy anything new until their stuff was worn out.