Voluntary Simplicity Still!

So now that I’m mildly rich, you may wonder if I STILL advocate Voluntary Simplicity….

….and the answer is a thunderous YES!

In fact, as the business exploded, I thought very carefully about my new-found abundance.  How should I use it?  How much did I want to change my lifestyle?

I discovered, happily, that I still had no interest in expensive cars (still don’t own a car), or big mansions, or any of that bullshit.  In fact, one toy I did buy was a new motorcycle… and I enjoyed it.  And yet, lately, I find that I don’t use it much and am planning to sell it.   It’s so much healthier and simpler to just walk (and I have plenty of time, so why not)!

Having discovered that I still preferred simplicity, I thought more deeply about this abundance… and the new opportunities it provided.  I realized that what drives me and excites me is growth:  learning, travel, connecting with people.   And so, that’s how I’m using my money.  I buy books and devour them.   I go to seminars and conferences that are really fantastic…  and am lucky that I can now afford the time and money they require.   I (we) travel frequently… short trips nearby and multi-month trips to Asia and Latin America.

But perhaps the greatest opportunity has been the opportunity to contribute to other people.. to help my family and friends learn, grow, and travel.  I helped my best friend Kristin create her own webeneur business….  and she recently celebrated her freedom from wage slavery!!  She’s now happily traveling and learning and living her dream.   That business is actually a partnership with her boyfriend Joe,.. a good friend of mine.

Joe hasn’t quit his job YET.  However,  next week he is going to a 3 day workweek schedule,… and plans to completely quit at the end of the year.  Another wage slave brought to the promised land!

And because of this, Joe and Kristin will be joining Tomoe and I on our big 4-5 month tour of Asia next year!

Another thing that abundance + simplicity gives me is the opportunity to contribute to my members (students).   Because the web business does so well, and because I live simply and save most of my income, I can afford to do a lot of free LIVE events:  demos, seminars, etc.   These are tons of fun for me and for the students.  With these live events we are creating stronger communities and stronger connections.

As the business continues to grow, these opportunities for contribution will expand.  One dream I have is to train English teachers in “poor” rural areas–  help them develop world-class English programs for their students (because all that’s required is training and passion, not money).

Tomoe also wants to do programs for Japanese middle school children and their parents, because these kids suffer a lot in the traditional English teaching system in Japan (and I’ve witnessed that firsthand).

So, I believe that voluntary simplicity is even more powerful for those with abundant resources.  Yes, it’s great when you don’t have money (as I demonstrated with my car and van living experiments).   But even if you are rich, it’s still a magnificent principle.  Why?

Because rather than throwing your money at bullshit material status symbols,… you can live simply and put your money towards contributing to your family, friends, and community.   Believe me, that’s far more rewarding than an expensive car or a McMansion!