Something about simplicity

I came across a little article today entitled "Secrets Of How To Live A Simple Life". Here's part of what it says:

One secret to how to live a simple life is to look honestly at how we complicate our lives and stop doing those things. It may be different for each of us, but there are some common habits. The first one is taking on responsibilities without fully acknowledging the costs and complexities they add to our lives.

If you bought a new boat, for example, would you think about the time you will spend maintaining it? Would you think about the trip to the insurance office for insurance, the necessity to shop for accessories like life-jackets and fire extinguishers? Would you remind yourself that boats break down, and you'll have to deal with hauling it someplace to have it repaired? Would you consider the trailer-hitch you'll need, the tarp to cover the boat, the tarp to replace that one when it tears, the bearings in the trailer wheels that will someday fail. Finally, would you think about the hours you'll have to work to pay for all this fun?

Nothing is wrong with owning a boat, by the way. If little else is going on in your life, all of the above could easily be a part of "the simple life." No one thing is too much, but when we don't recognize the complexity our choices add to our lives, we tend take on more than we can reasonably handle.

Very thought provoking, don't you think?