"I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men." - Lao TzuI found this quote the other day reading about living simple and I thought, "this quote describes my husband". Joseph is a kind, smart, thoughtful person and a great example to me every day. He approaches situations with gentleness and therefore he can be bold. He lives frugally and so we're allowed to be liberal. It is so nice not to have to worry about paying rent every month. We're not rich by any stretch of the imagination, but we live within our means which makes all the difference. Joseph always puts others before himself and so he is a leader among men.
Joseph and I have made plans to live a minimalist lifestyle; not too minimalist of course; there is a difference between living simple and being cheap. Our priorities are not of the status quo and I've received negative feed back because so. I think that people think of our philosophy as a great idea but not a reality. However, my husband is already living the way we want our family to be, so why would our plans be just a great idea? We want to raise our children in a home of creativity and learning, religion and spirituality, kindness and safety, laughter and happiness. We also want to accomplish certain goals that leave us feeling accomplished and productive at the end of the day. I'm more concerned about building character then buying a boat. We want to raise our boys to be good providers for their future families but there is so much more to being a good provider than making money. We're going to micro-homestead and work hard to create the lifestyle we feel is best for our family without compromising our beliefs.
Joseph and I put an offer on a house last week! Our minds have been going crazy with planning and more planning. We found out our offer was accepted today! We're one step closer to having a home, and starting our homesteading goals. Our five year plan is in full effect and we couldn't be happier! Wish us luck!
