light·ly
/ˈlītlē/
adverb
- delicately, gently, or softly.
- in relatively small amounts or in low density; sparingly.
Hi, I’m Emily! Welcome to my simple living blog. I like to write about my capsule wardrobe, minimalism, and the benefits of living a simpler life. I am so happy you’re here! I’d like to take a moment to tell you my story and why I’m here.
Up until about two years ago, my life felt like it was anything but simple. I was working a 9-5 job that in reality was more of an 8-6. I was overworked and stressed, and had difficulty finding meaning and fulfillment in the work I was doing. I was only there because I thought I was living the definition of ‘success’ and keeping in line with what myself and others expected of me.
Every day I would come home too exhausted to do anything for myself, like exercise, cook healthy meals, or cultivate my passions. I was making a big paycheque, but to fill the void, I was spending almost all of my money on things (like clothes, makeup, etc.) that I thought would make me happier and keep my dissatisfaction with my day-to-day at bay. As Courtney Carver expertly states in her book, Soulful Simplicity:
“I know how it feels to do work you don’t enjoy to earn money to pay for all the things you need to make yourself feel better for doing work you don’t enjoy.”
Courtney Carver, Soulful Simplicity
Is this sounding at all familiar to you? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
At the same time, I’d been learning more about minimalism and simple living over the past couple of years. When I started applying some of the principles of minimalism to my own life, such as the capsule wardrobe, my whole world slowly changed. I started feeling less stressed, less compelled to buy new things all the time, and like I had so much more time and purpose in my life.
I started by cleaning out my wardrobe, and selling or donating my old clothes. It felt so good to be making a bit of money on the side, and making others happy too! Slowly, the ideas spread through my inner circle to my friends and family. They quickly became just as enthusiastic about it as I was.
Seeing how much living simply improved their lives made me feel more fulfilled than ever before, because I had helped someone be happier. It was then that I realized that throughout this whole journey, I’d been developing a strong passion for helping others live more simply, and I decided I wanted to do it full-time.
So, I left my job and began devoting 100% of my time to helping others live a more simple and fulfilling life. You might not want or be able to make big changes like I did, and that’s okay. By building habits every day to make your life simpler, you’ll look back and realize how those small changes and habits can have an enormous, and positive, impact on your life.
Here are just some of the amazing benefits you can expect from living simply:
- Saving money (and even making money by re-selling old stuff)
- Reducing your environmental footprint by consuming less
- Decluttering your home, schedule, and life
- Feeling less busy and stressed
- Focusing on what’s most important to you
- Feeling happier and lighter
The name Emily Lightly was born out of my desire to live a lighter, simpler life – lighter both in terms of my own impact on this earth, and also in terms of being less encumbered by all the possessions, stress, obligations, and responsibilities that are not truly important to me.
This blog is a way for me to share my experience and what I learn along the way to help you live a simpler, lighter, happier life as well. I hope you stick around!
Sincerely,
