What is a Simple Life? Why “Having It All” Still Feels Empty

Through the Eyes of Maya

The Weight of “Having It All”

At 47, Maya seemed to have it all — career, success, and stability. Yet she misinterpreted what is a simple life, believing it was something reserved for retirees or those who wanted to take it easy.

A successful corporate career. The paycheck. The title. The neatly pressed suits that spoke of ambition and arrival. On paper, it was the life so many people admired — proof that she had “made it.”

But when the applause of the office quieted, and the emails stopped for the night, Maya often felt a hollow ache inside.

Her days were full, but she wasn’t.
Her home was spacious, but her energy was drained.
Her life looked successful, yet inside, she felt strangely… incomplete.

She wondered: “If this is success, why does it feel so heavy?”

Juggling Too Much

Outside of work, Maya was juggling everything else too — household chores, family responsibilities, side projects she thought would give her more freedom.

But instead of freedom, she felt bound tighter than ever.
Her home became another office, full of endless tasks.
Her time, sliced into fragments, was never truly her own.

Even her freelance projects, which she once thought were creative outlets, became just more deadlines chasing her.

Her life was filled with arrangements that were supposed to enhance her, but instead, they were entangling her.

What is a Simple Life - The Moment of Realization

One evening, exhausted but restless, Maya stumbled upon a video of Sadhguru.

Insight from Sadhguru

“Simple life means you are enhanced but not entangled. You don’t weave a web in which you get caught yourself.”

👉 Watch Sadhguru’s full talk here:

How To Simplify & Declutter Your Life – Sadhguru

The moderator asked him: “How can one live a simple life when both the body and mind are so complicated?”

Sadhguru’s answer struck her like lightning:
“Simple life means you are enhanced but not entangled. You make only the arrangements you can handle. You don’t weave a web in which you get caught yourself.”

Maya froze. She realized she was the spider caught in her own web.

She had built a life so packed with obligations, possessions, and expectations that she could no longer move freely.

Her career, her home, even her schedule — instead of supporting her, they were binding her.

Choosing to Let Go

That night, Maya made the hardest choice of her life: to let go.

First, she left her corporate job — the very identity she had carried for decades. Then, even the freelance projects she had clung to, she released.

It wasn’t easy. There were doubts, fears, and questions about security. But with each letting go, she felt lighter.

She even began to look at her home differently.
Did she really need such a big space? Or was it silently draining her with endless maintenance and chores?

The thought of moving into a smaller, cozier unit began to feel less like a loss and more like an act of self-preservation — a way to protect her time and energy for what truly mattered.

The True Meaning of a Simple Life

Through this journey, Maya discovered that a simple life isn’t about owning less or escaping responsibility.

It’s about making choices that support you instead of entangling you.
It’s about designing life so you can bend with the winds of change, instead of breaking under their weight.
It’s about keeping only the branches that bear fruit, while pruning away the rest.

For Maya, simplicity meant freedom — not from life, but for life.

What Does a Simple Life Look Like?

🏡 A home that feels peaceful, not overwhelming

After long days in the office, Maya used to return to a house that felt more like another battlefield — dishes in the sink, piles of laundry, things scattered everywhere. Now, she craves a home that greets her with calm, not chaos — a place where she can finally exhale instead of brace herself for more work.

📅 A calendar with breathing room, not just boxes to tick

Her planner was once so full it looked like a crossword puzzle — every square crammed with meetings, deadlines, and obligations. These days, Maya dreams of a calendar with open spaces, where there’s time to pause, reflect, and enjoy a quiet cup of tea without rushing to the next thing.

💰 Money spent with intention, not to keep up with someone else

Maya remembers buying expensive handbags and gadgets, not because she needed them, but because everyone around her was doing the same. Today, she wants her money to go toward things that truly matter — a trip that nourishes her soul, a course that helps her grow, or simply the security of knowing she’s building freedom for herself.

💼 Work that nourishes, not depletes

Her corporate job gave her status and a steady paycheck, but it also left her drained, running on fumes by Friday night. Now, she seeks work that feels like an extension of her values — projects that challenge her mind but also leave her enough energy to enjoy the rest of her life.

🌿 Space — in the mind, in the heart, in the home

For years, Maya’s mind buzzed like an overcrowded inbox — thoughts, worries, and “what-ifs” stacked on top of each other. Creating space means learning to quiet the noise, to leave room for joy and inspiration. It’s about having not just physical room at home, but emotional and mental room to truly live.

"Closing Reflection on "What is a Simple Life?"

Maya now knows that a simple life isn’t about becoming less. It’s about becoming more present, free, and alive.

She smiles at the thought:

“Success isn’t what others see. Success is waking up in a life that doesn’t trap me but sets me free.”