“Simplicity begins with a leap of faith – faith in oneself and, for many, faith in their creator. Simplicity will enable you to leap lightly. Increasingly you will find yourself living in a state of grace, finding […] the sacred in the ordinary, the mystical in the mundane. Shedding regret for the past and concern for the future, you will begin to live fully in the present moment, which is the closest thing on earth to eternity.”

“If any should think, that we placed religion barely in outward conformity and plainness, such are greatly mistaken; so far from it, that if we should outwardly conform in every thing, in which the Holy Scriptures direct us unto, or that godly elders are moved of the Lord to advise; yet, if our hearts are not right in His sight, and we do not witness a growth in His holy Truth, all the external conformity and plainness in the world, though good in itself, will avail us nothing as to Divine acceptance.”

“Advertising often offers us a material product, technique or device to achieve a limited, outward expression of the very desire for human solidarity, intimacy, closeness and love that we are called into in our most profound spiritual experiences. The right clothing, cosmetics, beverages, accoutrements are portrayed as necessary to our entering into a warm, happy life with others that holds no grief, anger or fear.”

“Voluntary Simplicity is a manner of living that is outwardly more simple and inwardly more rich, a way of being in which our most authentic and alive self is brought into direct and conscious contact with living. This way of life is not a static condition to be achieved, but an ever-changing balance that must be continuously and consciously made real.”

“Living on a reduced income is related to our refusal [to pay war taxes] only as a progression of awareness, that our entire economic life is tied into violence. It seemed logical that the less we participated, the less we’d be giving to that system.”

“I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength.”

“When I imagine my own life simple and uncomplicated, I picture my room and desk tidy, everything in its place. I myself am moving gracefully and graciously from one task to the next with precision, on schedule but with no strain or pressure. The schedule and the tasks are perfectly synchronized. It could all be so simple, I say to myself, if everything were only in its place.”

“All our senses are given to us to enjoy, and to praise God. The smell of the sea, of the blossom borne on the wind, of the soft flesh of a little baby; the taste of a ripe plum or bread fresh from the oven, the feel of warm cat’s fur, or the body of a lover – these are all forms of thanksgiving prayer.”

“Simplicity, beauty, and happiness go together if they are a by-product of a concern for something more important than ourselves.”

“Incomparably the most important thing is that each one of us should be sensitive to the call of God to ourselves and not spend time in passing judgment on the lives of others. To some the call will be to adopt the witness of great simplicity, perhaps to live in an Indian village or in a London slum. To others the most important thing will be to maintain our ancient testimony against ‘fightings with outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretence whatever.'”

“The history of the protest of early Friends against excess and ostentatious superfluity is fascinating. It is easy to ridicule their apparent denial of the Arts; yet it must be admitted that, certainly visually, out of it there was born an austere, spare, refreshingly simple beauty… What is hopeful is that in the Society there is no finality; we can laugh at ourselves and go on learning. As long as we are given to constant revision there is hope for us. Special pleading for the Arts is no longer needed. They are not viewed, as they once were, as a distraction from God. Rather they are seen as a manifestation of God.”

“Retirement is considered by the Quakers as a Christian duty. The members, therefore, of the Society are expected to wait in silence, not only in their places of worship, but occasionally in their families, or in their private chambers, in the intervals of their daily occupations, that, in stillness of heart, and in freedom from the active contrivance of their own wills, they may acquire both directions and strength for the performance of the duties of life.”

“Most of us need from time to time the experience of something spacious or space-making, when Time ceases to be the enemy, goad-in-hand, and becomes our friend. To read good literature, gaze on natural beauty, to follow cultivated pursuits until our spirits are refreshed and expanded, will not unfit us for the up and doing of life, whether of personal or church affairs.”

“You may know that early Friends lived this testimony by wearing plain clothes; eschewing materialism; and living frugal, plain lifestyles. You may have heard that Quakers do not put particular stock in holidays, and this practice is part of simplicity, too. Christmas and Easter are no more holy than another day.”