stripping down to bare happiness分析和总结分析和总结.docxVIP

What were talking about is simplification, not deprivation, my friend Sara explains. You can do all the things you like its just that you dont like the same things anymore. Some of the old habits seem so wasteful and unsatisfying, you really lose your taste for them. So you still have everything you want you just dont want as much. When I first met them, Sara and Michael were a two-career couple with a home of their own, and a large boat bought with a large loan. What interested them in a concept called voluntary simplicity was the birth of their daughter and a powerful desire to raise her themselves. Neither one of them was willing to jam what they considered the most important part of their life into the brief time before work and the tired hours afterward. A lot of people think that as they have children and things get more expensive, the only answer is to work harder in order to earn more money. Its not the only answer, says Michael. The couples decision was to trade two full-time careers for two half-time careers, and to cut back on consumption. They decided to spend their money only on things that contributed to their major goal: the construction of a world where family and friendship, work and play, are all of a piece a world, moreover, that doesnt waste the Earths resources. Today they live in the same suburban community in a handsome, energy-efficient home they designed themselves. Small by most standards, its easy to clean, furnish, maintain and heat. The first floor, one large room, has a kitchen area along one wall, a wood table and chairs for dining, a living area defined by a comfortable couch and a wood stove, and a corner work area. Upstairs are their bedrooms, an office that serves both Sara and Michael, and a bathroom. The whole house is bright and light and in harmony with its surroundings. Soon there will be a solar greenhouse outside the front door. How can a couple with two part-time jobs afford to build their own house, own a car and share a s