“We can’t have it all—the prevailing level of consumption, a life of deeper meaning and relationships, and global equity and sustainability. To realize these good dreams we must adjust our values and practices and seek creative solutions.
Embracing simplicity in order to live a life worth living is the theme that animates Free: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most, Mark and Lisa’s eminently practical guide to developing greater financial freedom, a more sustainable lifestyle and the ability to pursue a life of deeper meaning and purpose. Mark and Lisa outline seven steps to help readers clarify their own life vision and values and develop the practical skills needed to align their time and money with their deeper longings:
1. Name what matters most to you.
2. Value and align your time.
3. Practice gratitude and trust.
4. Believe you have enough.
5. Create a spending plan.
6. Maximize your resources.
7. Live generously and spend wisely.
As an adventurous “simplicity boot camp,” Free will empower readers to forsake the lie of the American dream to embrace what matters most.”
Mark and Lisa Scandrette in Free: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most (Downers Grove: IVP, 2013) notes from press kit PDF.
Jenni and I are often asked for suggestions regarding books that promote a biblically-based alternative to the American dream. This looks like a good one. I have just added it to my summer reading list. We are learning that simplicity (that is, living on less, not because stuff is bad, but so that we can deploy more resources in other ares) is liberating.