Reflections on SimpleREV 2015
Two weeks ago, I headed west to Minneapolis, MN to attend SimpleREV 2015, hosted by Joel Zaslofsky (Value of Simple), Anthony Ongaro (Break the Twitch) and Sarah Wehkamp (ParentsWho). SimpleREV 2014 was by far the best conference I had ever attended and I was thrilled to be heading to this year’s gathering to see old friends, meet new ones and spend the weekend taking in all things “simple.”The friendships I gained at last year’s conference have continued on throughout this past year via regular Skype and in-person meetings and have resulted in some of the most insightful and inspirational conversations I’ve had this past year. I enjoyed seeing many of these friends and confidants in person and it was great to again connect via #huggr in real life.
This year’s conference once again brought together simple living enthusiasts at all stages of the simplifying journey from all across the US and Canada.During our weekend together, we heard from Joshua Becker (Becoming Minimalist), Marc and Angel Chernoff (Marc and Angel Hack Life), Farnoosh Brock (Prolific Living), Courtney Carver (Be More With Less), Charlie Gilkey (Productive Flourishing), Liz Zurek Beaudry (Envision) and Justin Baker (Mindful Power) as well as each participant who shared during the opening roundtable and participant story time.
Because it was a small, intimate group, presenters and participants alike were able to spend time really getting to know each other, which, for me, is one of the best parts of attending a conference. It’s fascinating to discover how much we all have in common and the surprising ways we’re connected.The connection that this group has - believing that “less really is more” - is one that we don’t always find in our day-to-day life. There are times when we feel as though we’re swimming against the current, so it was comforting to be gathered in a room of like-minded individuals actively pursuing the same upstream course. The power that this small but mighty group of individuals has to change the world was undoubtedly felt throughout the weekend - during the workshops, the shared meals and the after-hours gatherings.While I gained something from each presenter and each of my fellow participants, one phrase that has stuck with me was shared by Liz Zurek Beaudry during her presentation on aligning your surroundings with your life. As she talked about living with her family of four in their small (gorgeously renovated) house, she shared how she and her family “do life together.” I immediately thought, “Yes. This.” It instantly put words to what I had not yet been able to so succinctly summarize about living small with my family this past year and specifically, living very small during our cross-country trip this summer. The simple words, “we do life together” so perfectly describe the essence of letting go of our excess stuff in favor of experiencing life to the fullest with those we love.Simplifying is not about giving up. It is about experiencing more. More joy, more abundance, more happiness and more living.Being with this group of individuals during SimpleREV and reflecting on Liz’s words reminds me why the simple life is the life worth pursuing and sharing.I hope that you will take some time to check out the work that each of these individuals is doing to show that a simple, intentional life is worth pursuing. It is my wish that they inspire you to join us as we head upstream and enjoy living simply.To Simplicity & Joy,Lisa