As Thanksgiving draws near and we take stock of our blessings, it is the simple things in life that usually top the list: love, family, friendships, food on the table, a place to call home, clothes on our backs, and a peaceful community that we so blissfully take for granted. These are the joyful simplicities of life which bring us the most happiness, health and fulfillment and, in most cases, don’t cost a thing. You don’t have to live like a monk to embrace simplicity.

Living simply is a voluntary lifestyle choice in which our most authentic self is brought into direct and conscious contact with the process of honoring the present moment and valuing what truly means the most to us. This idea enables positively embracing living with less, whether you’ve taken a knock from an economic downturn or need to pull back from overspending. Simple living is sustainable living, and this month’s Eco-Living theme gives a nod to the art of minimalism, a growing movement. By paring down possessions, we can lower our environmental footprint, simplify our finances and pave a better pathway for our children and their entire generation.

For us, minimalism means staying conscious of our daily choices, from preparing food using healthy, natural, ingredients that are easy to pronounce to the ingredients we use for our personal care and cleaning products, and materials for fabrics, clothes and shoes. We have been on a mission to greatly reduce the plastic in our home and replace it with sustainable materials, and it is paying off—most of the items that decorate our home are made directly from the Earth, such as wood, metal, stone and pottery.

If you’d like to live more sustainably, focus on your life goals, personal contentment and building relationships, instead of pursuing the all-consuming goal of economic success. As your life becomes unfettered by the “stuff” that takes up physical and mental space, intangibles like compassion, kindness and mindfulness organically bubble up to the surface. This month’s Inspiration department, “A Pebble of Kindness in the Stagnant Pond,” reminds us that with the expression of compassion, we become joy in motion. One of the most beautiful facets of mindfulness reveals itself when we embody kindness.

November is the perfect time to slow down with gratitude and look for ways to enjoy life more. We hope this issue inspires you to consider simplifying and stepping out of your usual habits to discover what brings you the most joy, peace, health and happiness. From all of us at Natural Awakenings, Happy Thanksgiving!

Here’s to a natural way of better living,

John and Trina Voell, Publishers