The first week of August is Simplify Your Life week, and it’s always good to be reminded that life doesn’t have to be so complicated. With a nod to the week that’s in it, I just got through re-reading Henry David Thoreau’s study on simple living, Walden. (It’s available free on Wikisource here.) When I first though about using Simplify for the travel theme, my mind flew to this photo taken along Salmon La Sac Creek in the North Cascades – how better to simplify your life than to spend quality time doing something you love with your best friend?
Another method of simplifying is to embrace minimalism. It doesn’t get much more minimalistic or more beautiful than a Zen garden like this one at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island.
One of the easiest ways to simplify is to eliminate distractions and that works for photography too. A single subject can make for a pleasing composition.
The main goal of simplifying your life is to rid yourself of the inessential in order to make room for what is important to you. I’m working on creating space to do more writing so am carving out chunks of time with no tv or radio to distract and no phone or email to interrupt. What would you do with more space and time? If you would like to join in this week’s travel theme (everyone’s welcome) here’s what to do:
- Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Simplify
- Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
- Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
- Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS!
xxx Ailsa
The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. – Hans Hoffman
Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify. – Henry David Thoreau
Where's my backpack? 
I tell you what… some years ago I was fortunate to see David Fabricius pass on motivational advice. He likened our lives to a glass… full to the top with stones and sand. The 5 stones signified, health, family, faith, and I can’t remember the others offhand… the sand signified clutter, the non essentials.
The moral of the story, if you try to pour the essence of life into your life’s glass, the water misses and overflows as there is no space left in the glass!
Chuck it out… start again by simplifying!! Replace the stones and only the things of value and you’ll be amazed how much space is left to fill with the water of life!!
Have a great weekend, I hope you’rs is a long one too!!! 😉
I remember reading about that, AJ, how great you got to see it in person. Have a wonderful long weekend! 🙂
Great post and great message. It is amazing what trimming the excess does to your ability to enjoy a moment. Thanks for the great read!
Glad you enjoyed it, Madison. x
Great theme! I’m thinking…..
Hurrah, looking forward to your post. x
Here is my entry for this week’s challenge: http://wp.me/p24idL-2go
Love it, Allan. As usual, cats get there before we do! 🙂
So true, and they stay that way longer.
Great theme, Ailsa! Especially since I’ve been thinking and working on it pretty much all of this year. I will let the theme “ferment” a bit and then create a post. Thanks for the idea.
I think it’s a life long process – those pesky distractions have a way of sneaking in when you’re not paying attention. I read somewhere that we are hard wired for distraction – if you think about it, when our ancestors were running around hunting and gathering, the one who didn’t get distracted by the rustle in the bushes probably ended up as some bear’s lunch. The ones who were prone to distraction were the ones who lived to pass on their distractable genes! 🙂
I hadn’t thought of it that way – but it makes sense. Although you could also argue that those who were able to focus single-pointedly on their prey were the ones who caught it and able to eat to survive!
It took a while, but here is my post: https://beautyalongtheroad.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/simplifying-the-not-so-simple-life/
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What could be more simple than mud?? http://annarashbrook.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/travel-theme-simplify/
Haha, the really simple life. 🙂
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Simple pleasures in life: http://smallbluegreenwords.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/travel-theme-simplify/
Hope your goals work out. I definitely need to sort out my life!
Have a great weekend Ailsa 🙂
Jude xx
Oh how perfect, Jude, simply beautiful, the gentle clatter of woods, how evocative. Have a great weekend too, and here’s to sorting things out! xxx
Simple is always the best! http://eatlesssugaryouresweetenough.com/2014/08/01/simple-summer-salad/
That sounds delicious!
Thanks! I love your weekly challenges btw 🙂
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I love planning adventurous excursions when I travel; equally important, though, is to have plenty of downtime to just wander around or sit and watch the world go by: http://www.tootimidandsqueamish.com/2014/08/travel-theme-simplify/
I included photos from Amsterdam, Morocco, Greece, Thailand, and Peru
I agree, Marcy, having some unplanned time when you travel makes for wonderful discoveries. Those swans are fabulous, and I love the alpaca wool shot too! xxx Ailsa
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Your last two pictures are truly jewels…
As light and dark are simply indespensible for a photograph,
here ‘s my take on the theme of this week, Ailsa an backpack friends
http://lanterfanteren.blogspot.com/2014/08/simplify.html
Have a great weekend, all of you!
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Lovely flower. The river is my answer this week.
http://quotidianhudsonriver.com/2014/08/01/8-1-14-travel-theme-simplify/
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Lovely pics, Ailsa. Here’s mine: http://jennysotherstuff.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/travel-theme-simplify/
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Great theme to contemplate Ailsa- all your photos are so fitting. Here’s mine,
http://almostitalian.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/travel-theme-simplify/
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Great photos! The swan is adorable!
http://geriatrixfotogallerie.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/travel-theme-simplicity-2/
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Island life: http://wp.me/sqJ7j-simplify
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Summer is the simplest time of all – please have a look at
http://acrossthebored.com/2014/08/02/travel-theme-simplify/
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Here is my entry:
http://shaanthz.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/travel-theme-simplify/
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Aw, I love the man and his dog in the bright blue boat, Alisa! My move to simplify is here: http://nwframeofmind.com/2014/08/02/weekly-travel-theme-simplify/
The simple life
http://tvortravels.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/travel-theme-simplify/
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Simplifying on a kayak trip… http://windagainstcurrent.com/2014/08/02/travel-theme-simplify/
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Love this one, Ailsa! And your entries – lovely, my pick is your first shot. Inspired me!
http://wp.me/p1hCI2-3Dm
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Travel, especially long time travel is the ultimate way to simplify your life. I’ll be watching for that book. http://pommepal.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/travel-theme-simplify
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Simple offerings: http://wp.me/p16tta-zS
Hi Ailsa
Here is my interpretation for this week’s Theme
http://alienshores52.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/travel-theme-simplify/