What I do in my other Happy Simply life

Tiny home are not the new normal here they are just normal. The majority of people here in South Sudan live in tiny homes in large numbers and without clean running water, solar electricity, toilet (compost or otherwise) and romantic notions of Happy, simply living.

My inspiration and creation of Happy, simply comes from the time I spend living and learning in developing countries. I am fortunate to choose to live in a tiny home and live simply when in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia but the majority world (living on less than $20 a day) doesn’t choose to live in tiny homes, they just do because there is no other choice.

I’m not here to point an evil finger at the tiny house community in the privileged world because I would be criticising myself but I do want to share with people why and how I came to join the simple living / tiny house / simplicity movement.

I wrote a blog last night that helped sum up where my heart lies in life and wanted to share with you as it is important to me to recognise the information and inspiration that brought me to Happy, simply. https://lunny06.wordpress.com/2015/04/12/look-up-into-the-night-sky-and-think-about-humanity/

You can also take a look at the other life I live (usually for around half a year every year or so). Follow along if you like and any blog I write always goes through my Teaspoons of Change blog warehouse – http://teaspoonsofchange.wordpress.com/

I miss my Happy, simply homes especially when I have to live in UN security approved hotels here in South Sudan!

Also I will write a blog with more detail on the Teaspoons of Change global citizenship tour I’ll be doing in the second half of this year from South Sudan to Australia via the Middle East, Europe, Central and SE Asia, but here is the route map and dates at least: http://link.globalpovertyproject.com/2015ToChMap 

See you somewhere, somewhen? 🙂

First Night

Oh what a beautiful morning waking up in your OWN NEW HOME!

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Finally after an amazing amount of time, logistics, stress, work, love, attention and interest I managed to have things set up enough where I could spent the night in my own simplistic, sustainable and (mostly) self sufficient Happy, simply home!

While there are still many things to do like adding an eave on one of the decks, getting the toilet system up to scratch and waiting for it to rain so I have self-sufficient water capture it is certainly the right time to move in (editor note I now have a full barrel – thanks rain!).

I am trying to start simple and stay simple – this is the great sophistication of simplicity. Yes I could do with an easier way to have my kitchen sorted and with more gadgets but starting with less is a great way to work out my needs from my wants. How long will I think I will need this item, how often will I use it, can I afford a small space for it or do I live without it, improvise or share, borrow and use with others. This is the art of living more with less.

Anyway back to last night, my first night, in the Happy, simply home – the most amazing thing while lying in bed with a smile on my face up in the cosy loft above the rest of my life below was the feeling of humility, gratitude and love.

• Humility – so many people have given so much for me to be in this amazing space in time, hospitality, expertise, supplies, effort and more…
• Gratitude – without all of these people, efforts and materials it wouldn’t happen
• Love – why should I be so lucky to have all of this done for me to live here and all I can do is put all of that love back into the world, pay it forward and share it

I am currently composing the Happy, simply handbook which incorporates all the components of the model and project but will also aim to look at the building experience.

For those of you who are in Wellington next Monday you can come along to the Happy, simply workshop – thanks to Chalkle, 7.30-8.30pm, Monday 25 March, 18 Allen St, RSVP here: http://www.meetup.com/sixdegrees/events/109332452/ and if you are really keen you can also come to a bicycle touring workshop I am running the hour before that 6-7pm – cycle touring with or without a cause

Let the inside photos speak for themselves – if that is what they are doing positively for you as excitedly as they are for me!

Happy, simply.

 

d’Arcy.

Happy, simply. quotes – 1 each week for a whole year!

So this post stems from emailing Rochelle who has been helping me with designing the poster and banner for Happy, simply. (very cool poster and banner I must say) and if we want to use the ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’ tag line in the banner…

I thought of one or two others that I like or quickly came to mind to replace the one above but then the inspiration hit me and this little flurry of quote came out as I have just been listening to an awesome podcast from the Moneyless Man that I listen to often, and then I watched a doco called Czech Dreams about advertising and consumer culture in the Czech Republic – both very cool and you should check them out!

Moneyless Man – the long interview http://www.podfeed.net/episode/The+Moneyless+Man+Interview+-+How+he+has+lived+for+over+2+years+without+a+penny/3003826

Czech Dream you can get from a great resource of documentaries from Thought Maybe – http://thoughtmaybe.com/czech-dream/

Anyway check out a few quotes (many) that have me thinking Happy, simply. – a lifestyle model and education project…

– Less is More

– Healthy, happy and with lots of friends

– People over profit and debt free!

– Where just enough is plenty

– The best things in life are not things

– ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’ actually I read this in a Chinese fortune cookie!

– Live like the change to want to see

– Is the glass half-full or half-empty? I’d be happy with a glass

– Are you are part of solution or are you a part of the pollution – Michael Franti, Spearhead

– Where people and places make the richest life

– Pure simple living

– Close to 100% pure living

– No additives – no need!

– Needs win over wants

– Where giving needs no receiving as giving alone is receiving enough

– Active citizenship, community participation and interactive living

– Better for you, society, the environment and the future…

– Its not a sacrifice, its enRICHing

– The gift of giving is giving

– Wealthy in friends, experiences and time

– When we get to choose simplicity it is a beautiful thing

– Richer for keeping below the Jones’

– The best storage space is no storage

– The way we were meant to live…?

– Where life is rich and real

– Equality can happen

– Sustainable living as the world designed for us all to fit

– Adapt a part or order the life package

– Personal and interactive with society and nature

– Where we are all just as important and insignificant as one another

– Where the richest thing in life, is life

– Living with a community and nature, not in it

– Where the cost of living is almost priceless (in costs and rewards!)

– Live in wealth of family, friends, community, nature and connection

– Regaining a sense of ‘normal’ from when we were put on this planet

– Live, learn and share

– In a community with a community

– Where caring is sharing and sharing is caring

– Not the mainstream, but why not? or Not mainstream New Zealand, but why not?

– Teach a man to build and he’ll build a happy simple village (or better if teaching a woman)

– Sorry no time for TV, too busy loving living

– Where todos conspirar para inspirar (where all things conspire to inspire in Portuguese)

– Resilience is a joy and path to more

– Live above the line but only just enough

– Live between the lines (of rich and poor)

– Feel connected, purposeful, engaged and simply satisfied

– Where you have more time for life and need less time for debt

– Where you will never want to return to a life of debt

– Have more space to think and enjoy life

– Make dreams come true (the kind you didn’t even know about)

– Where the simple things in life ARE the best

– If we want justice and equality for all

Happy, simply.

Would love to hear more of these… please add more in the comments section if you know more or want to adapt any!

Some are probably a bit too harsh in value judgements but maybe we them sometimes…? There is a list of 52 quotes here so I can add one of these a week in 2013 to give you Happy, simply. reminders if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter as I am not sure how I can avoid our social media dictators to do this… maybe print (recycled, reused one sided paper!) and cut them up and pin one up each week in your 10 square meter house somewhere… just thinking.

Also I wonder if there is a better picture to accompany this or using a variety of pictures…

I know I use this photo a lot but it does represent so much I love in the world. Nature and the basics. Put a community around it and its perfect (to me).