Five Questions with Bill Gerlach
Bill Gerlach
1. What does living simply mean to you?
For me, living simply is about both doing AND being. It’s a state of mind as much as it is list of do’s and don’ts. We are all stewards of this little world we call home. Living simply reconnects us with the people, places and experiences that amplify our everyday existence. For me, I like to call it “deep living”.
2. Why is it important to you? (Finances, faith, politics, etc).
I have three small children. I want to leave them a world that is prosperous not perilous. Learning to step lightly and help others do the same can lead us down that path. If we each take steps to reconnect with what brings true happiness in life we can create a momentum that can bring about change on a grander scale. The thought of that is powerful inspiration (for me, anyway).
3. What steps have you taken to live simply in your day to day life?
Broadly speaking, I approach living simply or deep living through:
- Striving to live a minimalist lifestyle, shedding the unnecessary and embracing what remains
- Being one with Nature, not apart or above it
- Allowing mindfulness to bring the present moment into focus
- Living by example and sharing this insight with others, especially children
But in terms of steps we have taken to live simply, we have done everything from eliminating television programming to growing some of our own food to making our own laundry detergent to line drying our clothes to being vegetarian. We help our kids create their own fun through art, music, awesome outdoor stuff and other things that challenge their imaginations.
For three years before launching The New Pursuit, I wrote another blog called Sustainable Sakonnet. It was all about how we made our day-to-day sustainable both at home and in our suburban Rhode Island community. It was there that I chronicled a lot of those tangible steps of living simply through actions of sustainability. That journey led me to this deeper path that I now write about at The New Pursuit.
4. What’s been the hardest part of your simple journey?
Temptation is everywhere! Giving up television programming was hard at first. But we soon got over that. Eliminating the influences of mainstream marketing has helped us avoid frivolous spending and taught us to get creative on fixing and reusing things we already have. Every once and a while I still crave that salty, smoky taste of bacon but I’m sticking to my boots on the vegetarian lifestyle!
5. What advice would you give others who are on the living simple journey?
Remember, it’s a journey that takes time and patience. It’s not a wonder pill you pop one day and (poof!) your life is somehow magically transformed. Yes, take steps to limit your impact on the earth. But be sure to also focus on changing your broader mindset and perspective on your place in the world and what brings you true happiness. Get outside and reconnect with Nature. I have found that surrounding yourself with this web of life we call home does wonders for clearing and opening the mind to new ways of thinking and being. All the things you need to do to limit your day-to-day impact will fall into place naturally after that. When you stumble on your path (because you will), don’t beat yourself up over it. Just get back up, take a breath and continue on. Then smile.
A former wanna-be rock star, farmer and corporate superstar, Bill Gerlach is a husband and dad who is pursuing his dream of being a full-time writer and speaker, helping others reconnect with life, nature and being. When he’s not blogging at The New Pursuit, he is a contributing writer at ecoRI.org and actively looking for other awesome writing/speaking gigs. You can follow him on Twitter at @bill_gerlach
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I recently eliminated the television and have been amazed at the change in my spending habits. This is a wonderful first step at simplifying ones life.