Lifestyle choices

Have you ever thought deeply about your lifestyle? Have you made a conscious decision on what your lifestyle is all about, or do you just go through your life in a daze? I believe that most people don't think about their lifestyle enough.

I come across people who don't seem to make any really good choices in the way they spend their days. They seem to think that there will always be time to put their far off dreams into play. But is that really living your ideal life? Some people tell you about what they are going to do, when they have the money, or when they have the time. They don't ever seem to pull it off though. The plan is always going to happen somewhere in the future.

I believe in living the lifestyle that I want to live today, not tomorrow or next year or when I'm retired. I don't want to wait until the perfect time, which may never happen. I believe in participating in my own survival and therefore participating in my life.

What do I mean when I say participating in my own survival? I mean taking responsibility for my life and that incorporates every aspect, whether it be going out to work, sticking to a budget, doing the household chores, or painting the house, or participating in physical exercise, or creating artwork, or stocking my pantry, or planting veges, or meditating, or travelling, or socialising, or whatever. All these things and more form part of my survival. They meet my financial, environmental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs. I believe in not begrudging some of the hum drum stuff, or putting off the menial tasks, but living those things when I'm doing them, realising that they form a part of my life. No, I can't say I love doing household cleaning chores, but I do them, so that my environment is pleasant to be in.

My lifestyle was a conscious decision. I wanted to participate in my own survival. I wanted to be less dependent on 'the system'. I wanted to live a simple life without being a slave to the bills and the expectations of others. I wanted to have as little impact on the environment as possible. I wanted to live a life that was more physically demanding. Thankfully, Steve, was in total agreement.

I feel we are on the right road to achieve what we set out to all those years ago. Living off the grid, prepping for hard times, buiding our own projects, growing food, harvesting and conserving water, striving to follow a healthy diet, creating beautiful things and in general just being daily aware that we have just the one life and to be grateful for our health, our resources and the happiness that we achieve in our simple life.

Kerri