When my family piles onto our bed to read, I swoon inside.
I relish these family moments more than anything.
And those days when we’re just too busy to make it happen leave me feeling sad inside.
These years are short. And sometimes the days feel even shorter and if we’re not conscious we will allow the simple pleasures of life to slip away in the busyness of being more, doing more, having more and owning more.
And yet when I tap into my own inner wisdom, I know what is best for my family.
And less always means more.
When we choose a less is more motto, we learn what it can feel like to savor a moment.
When we do less, we learn to linger in a second to make it feel like an hour.
We see more beauty, we connect more together as a family, we feel more energized and we feel more motivated.
We actually can accomplish much more in our lives by doing less.
But doing less stirs up many hard feelings — emotions go soaring to the surface.
We think that less means nothing. We think that less means giving up. We think less means bored.
Less doesn’t mean nothing. Less doesn’t mean giving up. Less doesn’t mean lazy.
Let me repeat that: Less doesn’t mean lazy.
Less means meaningful and authentic living day in and day out.
Less means choosing carefully what comes next.
Less means deliberately choosing what is best for you and your family.
Less means living with purpose and within your own values as a mother.
And when we make “Less is More” our family motto we’re saying yes to doing what feels really good.
When we put Less is More at the top of our list we no longer cave to society’s DO MORE, HAVE MORE, BE MORE, OWN MORE shouting and nagging and distractions.
When we put Less is More as a priority, we get to soften into our blissful state of just being here, savoring every second, loving every messy moment.
When we accept that, yes, Less is More, we can put the dish towel down, the computer away, the iPhone in a drawer and go join the kids on the carpet to play games and do yoga and breathe together — and maybe wash the dishes later with music blaring from the speakers.
And this is how we weave an authentic life into our family life — by just saying less is more.
And doing what feels really good.
What would a Less is More motto mean for you and your family?
Less indoor time has meant more outdoor time. We are able to notice, to know, to just be in nature. Even in cold!
Thank you for the thoughtful post — definitely saving it on Pinterest for when I need the reminder!
~Lee
http://pocketmousepublishing.com/author/brightskymom/
Absolutely.
Love this post! I need to implement this. We love your blog, we posted about it over here at Shoptippi.com recently. Here is the link if you want to check it out!
http://www.shoptippi.com/2015/02/16-of-the-best-parenting-blogs-weve-found/
Wow, what an honor! Thank you.
I couldn’t love this less more.
Ha. Love YOU!!
I have tried since the beginning of the year to make Sundays – fundays! We do still have some chores and things to accomplish that day, but i have tried to make more down time on Sundays. I am hoping with summer coming we can make the whole day Sunday Funday! I feel like we missed our whole summer last year by not doing things we enjoy. Thanks so much for your wonderful blog!
Thank you for this kind note. And I love your idea here … Kind of like a sabbath.
We have chosen a minimalist lifestyle and have recently decided to travel and roadschool our kids. By living with less we have more life to experience.