Path to Discovery

**Sara Noel** · 06-26-2001, 09:41 AM

Hello gang,
I know many of you talk with me daily, but few know my inspiration.

Many have asked me my motivation for this website.

I created this website during the beginning of my path to rediscovering my true self.

This website is the avenue for me to be able to reach others that have reached that point in their lives where they are contemplating their life purpose.

This happens at many different ages and stages in life. It's about accepting and embracing who you are in this world.

For me, it was about slowing down, appreciating my personal life and the world around me. It was about letting go of comparing myself to others, and living simply.

It is my aim with this website to offer tips on frugality to offer the driving force to achieve simplicity. Ask yourself how much is enough?

My journey is about my values. It is about letting go of all of my quasi relationships, and focusing on what is truly important to me. What had started as a financial shock and a burden of debt has become the turning point of me voluntarily putting an end to the rat race and shouting to the world, "Enough is enough!".

What is your journey about? What are some of the simple things that you experience daily that money can never buy?

Get quiet with yourself. Find that quiet place and just sit there and love life. This is what I am talking about. You know those moments. Let's remind each other to slow down.

Sara

**KathiS** · 09-11-2001, 05:50 AM

Sara, I am with you 100%. I finally took a leave, finished a masters degree, that had always been a life's goal for me, and then discovered what I really wanted was for my life to slow down. I had been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for years. I had been teaching or running children's programs, trying to finish school and had two children and a husband. For a long time, I think my family came second or third in my rat race!I retired early, (of course I was lucky to be able to do that) and just slowed way down. I have found I enjoy myself so much more and feel so much more at peace since I have time for my family and friends. I guess when I got to my professional and educational goals,I found they really didn't matter as much as I thought. I guess with me it was about getting older. Wish I had my priorities in better shape at a younger age.Glad to have found a board where people are willing to talk about important matters like this.

**Sara Noel** · 09-22-2001, 11:59 PM

I was at a point in my life where I actually would wake up in the middle of the night with panic attacks. I would wake up thinking I was falling asleep at the wheel. I was burning the candle from both ends. [img]/phpbb/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]

Something had to give.

Thanks for sharing your story.

Sara

**strawberryfire** · 01-07-2002, 06:59 PM

my story/ journey is simple, after the teenage years where i had all these plans of becoming a career woman the fancy house, big stuuf and fancy holidays, then after falling pregnant at 19 ( he was born just after my 20th) my thoughts changed i realised i was happy enough to camp and hike, and have just a small patch of land for my veggies, and room for josh to run around, somewhere he will always have to come home to, with things we had "restored and built with love", we rae still working towards that but relise we don't have to go at a frantic rate, and can enjoy our family and lives as we go about it.

**Jerseygirl** · 01-08-2002, 06:31 PM

It's beautiful to see such wonderful, healthy ideas of what life should be. I can't say I'm there yet, but I am trying. After so many years of materialism-I got my first credit card in high school in the 80's-I'm finding the less is more, planning for the future mentality a welcome relief, but it is so easy to fall into old bad habits. A bad day at work and I find myself fighting the desire to go buy 1/2 a dozen new pairs of shoes-and I'm not talking payless. I'm trying hard and the support of the ladies here has been a great help.

**homesteadmamma** · 09-07-2002, 10:15 AM

bump

I love this thread. I took a journey into inner simplicity when I read The Simple Living Guide the year it came out, 1997. I've never looked back and although it is still a work in process, I'm living the simple life.

Having experienced severe burn-out after fostering for 6 years and having 23 special needs children go through our home, I begin to realize I needed to change my way of living or I wouldn't be living. First I went to see our family doctor and he told me if I didn't slow down and learn to say no, I was in for some major health problems.

So begin my journey. First of saying no, then dh coming off the road and being home and then looking at areas I needed to change. I begin to look at "me" and began reading everything I could on inner simplicity/simple living and its been the best years of my life.

Are any of you on this journey?

**Heather** · 10-16-2003, 07:09 PM

I found this thread looking for some things for Bev! Wow, thanks so much Sara for sharing your thoughts!!

**heavensent_7** · 10-16-2003, 07:56 PM

Wow! Thank you

It's so good to have friends that REALLY care about you!

I've never seen this thread before

I read it and honestly nearly cried. I'm so DUH sometimes

**forestdale** · 09-03-2004, 12:45 AM

I thought this thread deserved to be bumped up and talked about again.

My journey to a simple life began when I got to the point in my corporate life where I knew that if I had to work with certain people ever again that my head would explode. They were headed in a different direction to me and as far as I was concerned their direction was leading to a dead end.

I examined what I wanted from my life and what was missing and I realised that I had more than enough to keep me content for a long, long time. What I did crave was time for myself, to slow down and to enjoy what I already had. I wanted to spend time with my family and I wanted time to be alone.

I closed my technical writing business and sat on my front verandah for hours and hours thinking about my life and what makes me happy. It doesn't take much. All I wanted was to live a real life, not a life hidden by possessions. I did lots of reading and research on the web and that led me to here, to a place I'd never been before but was very familar.

Life's good. I know now that happiness is never one big thing. It's all about smaller things that happen almost every day but need to be recognised and appreciated as part of a much bigger picture. I know now that cultivating a generous spirit is a way of expressing my happiness to friends and strangers alike. And I know now that less really is more.

What's your story?

**kimmee** · 09-03-2004, 11:51 AM

I think it is so funny and interesting that people do not want to live like Animals (ie " what are you , an animal!!") Since I have been slowing my life down and trying to find the joy and beauty in things - I have spent alot more time sitting quietly and watching my animals - Shtinkee with her kittens - she takes time and is a good mommee to them - she feeds them, plays with them, and KNOWS them (she always knows when one is missing and where to look for him (Norton!!) yet she takes time for herself to sit in the sun or mouse a little, her little accomplishments. She's taught them to use the litter pan on their own. She literally dragged their daddy over to be involved and he has a blast now! (is that play therapy??) She's the perfect image of what a human mother should be (IMO).
Watching Sammee and Emilee (the sheep) they work together and they PLAY together, they look out for each other (Emilee will look up and discover she is lost - Sammee is not in view- so she calls out and he comes (from around the corner) to let her know he's there. I can watch the ferrets interact for hours. And the chicks!
What is there not to love about an animals life ( when they are left alone anyway.)

Simplicity at its finest!

**homesteadmamma** · 09-03-2004, 12:07 PM

Kimmee, what a wonderful post. Thanks for sharing about animals - what a great way to look at simplicity.

**SewCrafty** · 09-03-2004, 12:34 PM

I agree Kimmee, I too watch my animals interact with each other. Everyone is astounded that I have 11 cats indoors (none are let out) and never have all out cat fights. They all get along.

My search for inner peace began back in 2001. I was working an extrememly stressful job (night shift no less), had my sister living with us (she had overdosed on her meds) and lost my precious dog Peachie after a long illness. I like Sara was burning the candle at both ends and in the middle.

Something had to give. It ended up being me. I had a breakdown. I was having it and didn't realise what it was. I am the 'strong' person everyone comes to for help. I don't normally cry very much and found myself crying at everything. I hated it that I wasn't in control. I called the number for employee help and got the help I needed to get my life back.

I never ended up going back to work. I was still having nightmares of young men being cut in 2 between the railroad cars. I decided then and there, nothing was worth my health. That job was a very good paying job, but just not worth it. I had multiple heath problems along with breaking down.

So I started my life to inner peace. I knew we had to change our lifestyle and it hasn't been easy but I am much happier at home with my hubby and cats. They are my kids and they like having me home too.

I actually found this site searching on the net for help with one of my kitties. Poor Toby was born without a tail and had a huge infection. He ended up being incontinent and I was trying to figure out how to make a diaper for him. Margery (known as Dozymom then) gave me lots of help. Thanks Margery!

It was quite a few months after that, that I started posting more myself, I lurked and learned a lot though. The posts I read had me rethinking my life even more. Now I am doing the things I love best. Taking care of my cats, sewing more, doing my needlearts in the winter and canning this summer. Even my hubby Jack said many times while I was canning. "Wow, you really seem to be happy doing all this work!" And you know what? I was! I really enjoyed canning (something I never looked forward to as a kid). To have visible proof on my shelves of what I accomplished myself is a great feeling.

**forestdale** · 09-03-2004, 04:20 PM

Great post, Dee. Thanks for sharing it with us. One of the things I love about this board is that it helps us think about things we hadn't though of before and it gives us ways of seeing things in a new light. I also love how a few words typed in by someone we've never met in person can ignite the spark of change.

**SewCrafty** · 09-03-2004, 08:36 PM

Originally posted by forestdale
Great post, Dee. Thanks for sharing it with us. One of the things I love about this board is that it helps us think about things we hadn't though of before and it gives us ways of seeing things in a new light. I also love how a few words typed in by someone we've never met in person can ignite the spark of change.

Thanks Bethany, you are oh so right.

I didn't even mention all the love and support I received from these very special ladies last year as I battled breast cancer. They were the anchors that kept me grounded and focused on just getting better, which I am happy to report I did! I had a clear mammogram in June.

I also had a lot of love , supposrt and help from my dear hubby Jack and my family.

Having cancer and beating it, gives you a whole new perspective on life. The saying "Don't sweat the small things." is very true along with "Live is too short, so live every day like there is no tomorrow." I am trying to do both now and find I am much happier.