Life is far from simple. The 2020s have been a decade of turmoil as our world faces complex challenges with no simple solutions. It’s easy to feel burdened by these challenges. Yet, as debates about the pandemic, inflation, climate change, wars, and natural disasters wage on, I’ve learned the best thing to do is take a deep breath, shut out all the noise, and embrace the peace that comes from simple living.
Hi everyone. I’m Michelle Oram—also known as Boomer Eco Crusader—and I’m delighted to join the team of talented writers at Wise & Shine. For several years, I’ve been on a quest for a simpler and more sustainable life. To introduce myself and the kinds of topics I’ll be writing about, today’s post looks at my journey to a simpler life, and how writing has propelled me along the way.
When I launched Boomer Eco Crusader in 2019, it was a simple blog about reducing waste and living a greener life. Over time, my blog evolved into a space where I share thoughts on a variety of topics under the tag line of “Live Your Best Life”. My main blog themes of “Live Green, Declutter, Simplify Life” all have a common thread—simplicity is the key to a better life.
My blog helped me discover the joy of simple living! Yet, the path I took to that revelation was far from straight.
When Life Sends You a Wake-up Call
Like many people, I spent most of my life rushing from task to task. I rarely said no to anything, taking great pride in the number of things I had on the go. Then, life sent me a wake-up call. In 2011, a breast cancer diagnosis at age 47 was a turning point in my life. It gave me an opportunity to slow down and reevaluate everything.
As I sought to answer the question “Why me?” that rings in the head of every cancer patient, I became increasingly aware of harmful chemicals in the air we breathe, in our personal care products, in many of the products we use in our homes, and even our food. That awareness led to my first steps toward simplicity and sustainability. I was on a mission to reduce my exposure to toxic chemicals.
A few years later, I expanded my mission. Having made great progress with natural cleaning and personal care, my new quest was to minimize my personal impact by reducing waste and living a greener life. And to share my message with the world, I started a blog. Boomer Eco Crusader was born!
As I wrote and researched, it became apparent that overconsumption is one of the reasons our planet and its inhabitants are suffering. Realizing that consuming and owning less are the key to sustainability, I started to question everything I bought, and everything I owned. I needed to declutter and simplify my life!
In 2021, I embarked on a year-long decluttering challenge where I systematically went through every area of my home and got rid of thousands of items. And to keep myself honest, I committed to sharing a weekly progress update on my blog, with my decluttering tally and learnings for the week. It was transformational.
Sustainability, Simplicity and Decluttering – It’s All Connected!
At the end of 52 weeks of decluttering, I reflected on my learnings from the year. Beyond the practical aspects, I learned that sustainability, decluttering, and simplicity are all connected. The world constantly tells us that happiness lies just beyond the next purchase. In reality, accumulating more stuff will never make us happy. In fact, out-of-control consumption is harming our mental health, our financial health, and the health of our planet.
Living simply and sustainably frees up time and space to focus on what really matters. These days, I’m fuelled by a desire to own less and do more of the things that matter. Clearing the clutter helped free up time and headspace to take on new challenges that bring me joy.
Yet, I’m an imperfect human being, and my quest for a simple life is far from over. I look forward to sharing my continued journey toward a simpler, sustainable, and more meaningful life in future posts. Together we can find joy in simple living!
Thank you to the wonderful team at Wise & Shine for welcoming me. I’m grateful to be part of this group of thoughtful and talented writers. Learn more about me in my bio and at BoomerEcoCrusader.com. You can also find me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.