{ Soft Living }

For many years, I have tried to practice the art of slow living.  

 

I found that I wasn't connecting with the modern world, it was too busy, too chaotic, too full of things that I didn't want in my life or in my soul.  I used to do these blog posts talking about contentment and what it felt like to be filled with joy for your life, your surroundings, and the situations you were living in.

 

The modern days we live in feel cold, disconnected and somewhat jarring to my well being.  

 

I often pull back into my little shell, within my homey walls and focus on living here, cleaning, homemaking and living a slow life.

 

The other day I came upon the phrase, Soft Living.  It intrigued me and so I went in search of it's meaning.  It turns out that it was first used by a Nigerian influencer community, and it means:

to reject hustle culture and to live a life without struggle and stress.

Yes, my soul screamed a big resounding yes.  There is too much around us that constantly brings stress and days filled with struggles of every kinda imaginable. Some things are out of our control, but most times we can say no, we can pull back, we can remove ourselves or the situations, people, objects causing the interference.

 

Books have been pulled out and enjoyed while I listen to soft music in the background.  I especially love listening to soundtracks from some of my favorite period dramas.  I find it just sets the mood to sit back, relax and allow yourself to travel within the pages of a book.

 

I've also spent a lot of time organizing and pottering around with things.  Not having to rush out the door, and really being able to devote myself to being the homemaker, that I have always dreamed of being.

 

Some grow up wanting to be doctors or lawyers, to have a successful career and a life in the city with hustle and bustle.  I have always wanted just the opposite, to be home, to have a family, to be a mom and a wife and a homemaker.  Maybe that's why I feel such a disconnect to modern times, and immediately pulled by old days and quieter simpler life.

 

Now simpler doesn't mean easier, because if you we take a good look at life now and then, we are blessed to have so many things at our fingertips, that make living in general easier to deal with.  Oh but you just said the opposite.....well yes and no.  Life was quieter, simple, not so filled with so many distractions, but daily tasks in and of themselves were harder.

Whether working the land, or taking care of the home, the simplest of tasks took a lot of time.  We don't even have to look further than doing laundry.  Hours and hours were spent over washboards and clotheslines, while now we shove the clothes in a washer, walk away and come back an hour later to move them to another machine that dries them.  

I'm not opposed to these modern marvels, but I feel that what we gain in that area, we lose in others, mainly the connection between families and people.

 

So along with my slow living, I am incorporating soft living as well.  They are very similar in their overall concepts, it is all about slowing down, making things around you softer and not so harsh.  Music, wholesome shows on TV, good books with sweet stories, homemade simple meals that fill the tummies and bring people together around the table.

Gardening, spending time outdoors with your chickens, your pets, your plants and trees.  

Taking care of your home, not just in the chores you do daily, but in the little things that often get overlooked.   Like, updating your recipe binder, as I am doing currently with more healthy and Mediterranean food recipes.

I spent about an hour printing recipes, putting them in protective document sheets and filing them in my binder.  It's something I hadn't done in a while but it was needing an overhaul, and a bit of a clean up.  Just the time I sat doing that at my desk, with a cup of tea, brought so much peace to my heart.

In the background, Kaia and Elliott napped on the bed, softly nestled in their blankets, and a sweet relaxation video played on the TV.  Beautiful scenery with a soft piano soundtrack. 

 

We don't always have to be connected to the world we live in.  We are in this world but not of this world!

 

This quote often plays through my mind when I start feeling overwhelmed.  This busy, chaotic, at times violent world we find ourselves in, is not what I want or appreciate, and I may not be able to change what is around me, but I can certainly not engage in it.  I can choose to pull away and to focus on me, my home and my family.

 

Disconnecting from the modern world and social media, there's a big one.  I do love sharing my day on Instagram stories, but I do so to hopefully inspire others with a slower, kinder, more loving and home focused living.  

 

Spending time with the Lord, working on a favorite project, filling your soul with good things and your body with healthy fuel.  That is what I've been doing and I haven't felt this peaceful, calm and content in many years.

How do you choose to live your life?  Do you like the busy non stop way of living, or like me, do you feel more connected with a simpler more fulfilling lifestyle?

I would love to hear in the comments.  I do feel that a lot more people are drifting away from the hustle and choosing intentional, family time.  What a joy that makes me feel!

If we project more love and more peace into the world, I truly believe we would all be in a better place.  The sin that is rampant around us is a symptom of a broken society, a hardened heart that has been allowed to be influenced by the evil that is so prominent in our current days.

You don't have to live it, pull back, take charge of your life.  Grab that book you've been wanting to read for so long, sit on a comfy chair or couch and enjoy it.  I promise just that simple little act of defiance against the stress of outside influences, will do you a world of good.