Voluntary simplicity has more to do with the state of mind than a person's physical surroundings and possessions.

To live more simply is to unburden our lives - to live more lightly, cleanly, aerodynamically. It is to establish a more direct, unpretentious and unencumbered relationship with all aspects of our lives: the things that we consume, the work that we do, our relationships with others, our connections with nature and the cosmos, and more.

Simplicity means to choose ways of living that touch the Earth more lightly and that reduce our ecological footprint.

To me, voluntary simplicity means integration and awareness in my life.

I consciously started to live simply when I started to become conscious.

Simplicity of living means meeting life face to face. It means confronting life clearly, without unnecessary distractions. It means being direct and honest in relationships of all kinds. It means taking life as it is.

Compassion will no longer be seen as a spiritual luxury for a contemplative few; rather it will be viewed as a social necessity for the entire human family.