Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul by Bill Hybels

by Bill Hybels

"Exhausted. Overwhelmed. Overscheduled." Sound familiar? Today's velocity of life can consume and control us . . . until our breakneck pace begins to feel normal and expected. That's where the danger lies: When we spend our lives doing things that keep us busy but don't really matter, we sacrifice the things that do.What if your life could be different? What if you could be certain you were living the life God called you to live--and building a legacy for those you love? If you crave a simpler life anchored by the priorities that matter most, roll up your sleeves: Simplified living requires more than just cleaning out your closets or reorganizing your desk drawer. It requires uncluttering your soul. By eradicating the stuff that leaves your spirit drained, you can stop doing what doesn't matter--and start doing what does.In "Simplify," bestselling author Bill Hybels identifies the core issues that lure us into frenetic living--and offers searingly practical steps for sweeping the clutter from our souls.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Self Help, Faith, Leadership, Christian Living, Spirituality

Audio CD

First published August 14, 2014

About the author

Bill Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, a non-denominational church with eight regional locations in the Chicago area. He is the bestselling author of more than twenty books, including Simplify, Axiom, Holy Discontent, Just Walk Across the Room, The Volunteer Revolution, Courageous Leadership, Too Busy Not to Pray, and Becoming a Contagious Christian.

Hybels launched Willow Creek Community Church in 1975 with his wife, Lynne (Berry), and a group of friends who gathered in rented space in a movie theater with a vision of helping people from any faith background (or no faith at all) become fully devoted followers of Jesus. Utilizing contemporary music, the arts, relevant teaching from the Bible, and a small-groups community focus that has revolutionized how people experience community in the local church, Willow Creek has grown to more than 25,000 attendees, one of the largest churches in North America—and one of the most influential.

In 1992, Hybels launched Willow Creek Association, a not-for-profit organization that equips, inspires, and empowers leaders around the world. In 1995, he convened WCA’s first Global Leadership Summit, an annual two-day event featuring top leaders from all perspectives and areas of expertise—both faith-based and secular (past speakers include Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Bono, Melinda Gates, Andy Stanley, Jim Collins, Ed Catmull, Tyler Perry, Sheryl Sandberg, Nicholas Kristof, David Gergen, and Brené Brown). Telecast live from Willow Creek’s 7,000-seat South Barrington auditorium each August, more than 400,000 pastors and community leaders attend the Summit at hundreds of locations across North America, and around the world at 675+ sites in 130 countries and 60 different languages—making it the largest event of its kind on the planet. “Everyone wins when a leader gets better,” Hybels says.

Hybels holds a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Trinity College (now Trinity International University) in Deerfield, Illinois. He and his wife, Lynne, have two grown children and two grandsons.

Reviews

[Demetrius Rogers]

I'd give this a 2.5. There were some good stuff here, but my goodness I felt the book was way over-written. Simplify needed to be simplified. It could have easily have been 1/5 of the length and been just as effective, and even more. I felt like Hybels re-told the same story different ways just to drive the same point home over and over again.

But the main gist was excellent - keep your soul clutter-free by simplifying your life. There is a price that comes from depletion, so we have to fight for ways to keep our lives replenished. We need to protect our energy reserves to be the best version of who we are. Sometimes this requires saying 'no,' maybe even disappointing people. But, it comes down to knowing our purpose and maintaining our focus. Hybels explores different areas of life where this can happen: occupationally, financially, relationally, and spiritually. He is a big fan of having a life-verse. Good concepts here, but I feel the book loses traction with too much filler.

[Robert Durough, Jr. · Rating 1 out of 5]

See my blog for properly formatted review: http://durough.wordpress.com


Unless “simplify” means “do more,” Bill Hybels’ latest book, Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul, is misnamed. A pertinent title may be Organize Your Life. This is a book for those in middle- to upper-class America who have the freedom, time, energy, and resources to take advantage of all reorganization and life-additions encouraged by Hybels. Much of what Hybels has to offer is anecdotal and does not necessarily follow any principles taken from Scripture (some do, some don’t). The main purpose I have concluded is to be taken from the book is to encourage the reader to be organized, follow your dreams, and be happy...with God. God is mentioned a lot, but relying on Him is more of an afterthought in this holistic approach to life, focusing more on happiness for the self and disregarding contentment in God. This is not to say that it’s all selfish—there are plenty of sections that pull straight from Scripture in their proper context—but it’s really more about being happy and busy with what one enjoys (being uncluttered?) rather than simplifying one’s (spiritual) life.

To help express my opinion, I provide my simplified summary of what Hybels provides for his reader as a way to simplify their lives.

Chapter One: Fill your depleted spiritual bucket.
• Ask God to do it and he will.
• Do things you know will fill your bucket.
• Recommended:
o Spend fifteen minutes a day with God in a quiet place by reading Scripture, praying, and listening.
o Spend time with Family.
o Engage in satisfying work.
o Participate in recreation.

Chapter Two: Prioritize and organize your calendar—you should have one!
• Find a schedule that works for you.
• Make time for God—mark it in the calendar.
• Make time for family—mark it in the calendar.
• Make time for exercise and recreation—mark it in the calendar.
• Set goals—mark them in the calendar.
• If you want to do something else, mark it in the calendar.
• Stick to the calendar.
• Change your life/job to be something that is happy and meaningful to you. (No need to find contentment in your current circumstances.)

Chapter Three: Be a good steward of your finances.
• Financial reconciliation is comparable to spiritual reconciliation with Jesus.
• Five required beliefs for financial reconciliation:
o “All I have comes from God.”
o “I live joyfully within God’s current provision for my life.”
• Get out of debt.
• Being debt free and living below your income enables you to give more.
o “Honor God by giving the first tenth of all my earnings to his purposes in the world.”
• If you believe you can only get from A to B with 100% of your income, God can do it with 90%.
• Don’t rob God.
• Tip: Set up electronic giving to your church.
o “I set aside a portion of all my earnings into a savings account for emergencies, giving opportunities, and my later years.
• Tip: 10-10-80 Principle:
• 10% to God (church)
• 10% to emergencies, extra giving, and retirement.
• Live on 80%
o “I live each day with an open ear toward heaven, eager to respond to any whisper from God regarding my resources.”
o If you’re confused or frightened about these five principles, remember they’re God’s way.

Chapter Four: Examine and refine your working world.
• Be satisfied in your labors.
• Find fulfillment in you work.
• Have energy, peace, and self-confidence in your work.
• If your job does not offer the above, find a new one. (Again, No need to find contentment in your current circumstances.)
• Align your work with your passions and culture and the right set of challenges and compensation (wages & passion).
• Stay open to God moving you to do other work.

Chapter Five: Forgive
• Work on your heart.
• Perspective: Feeling wronged doesn’t mean you were wronged.
• When legitimately wronged, follow Matthew 18.
• Forgiveness can lead others to Jesus.

Chapter Six: Be at peace.
• Don’t sin.
• Maintain healthy fear and judgment.
• Face your fears.
• Speak truth.
• If you do your part, God will do His part.

Chapter Seven: Deepen healthy relationships.
• Spend time with true friends and wise people.
• Stay away from troublesome and divisive people.
• Tips: Meet people by serving faith-based charities, attending church functions and joining Bible studies.
• Be a good friend.

Chapter Eight: Follow God’s calling.
• Find a life verse, “a short passage of Scripture that serves as a rallying cry to guide and focus the current season in your life, or your life as a whole.”
• Live your life verse.

Chapter Nine: Go with the seasons.
• Remember Ecclesiastes 3.
• “Identify your current season.”
• “Be fully in your season.”
• Go with the changing of the season.

Chapter Ten: Be satisfied.
• Things that won’t satisfy:
o Physical health
o Education
o Pleasure
o Work
o Wealth
o Sex
o Fame
• Don’t be like U2, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”
• Fill your life with things that bring:
o True satisfaction: fill God-given desires.
o Purpose: fulfill God’s purpose
o Significance


Not recommended.

[Edit: April 23, 2016]
In lieu of Simplify, I highly recommend Unstuffed: Decluttering Your Home, Mind & Soul by Ruth Soukup.

*This book was provided by Tyndale House Publishers for review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I offered or provided any compensation.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit that I expected this book to be a bit boring. Simplify. Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul by Bill Hybels has a very simple cover. I totally judged it by the cover.

My goodness! Once I started reading it I was nodding my head along to several paragraphs. I grabbed a notebook to write down quotes and Bible verses and notes. I got SO MUCH out of this book!

I liked it so much, in fact, that I brought it along to Bible Study and shared it with the class. While it is not really a devotional (though I hear a devotional to go along with the book is in the works!!!), it teaches so much that our Bible Study decided to use this as our next book.

There are ten topics covered in the book; the most helpful for me were finances, forgiveness, and friendship. Bill goes in depth with each topic but not in a heavy way - the way he writes is wonderfully easy to read and makes so much sense.

If you only buy one book this year to change your life I think this one should be it! I highly recommend it.

[Val Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I'd read this book when it was first published in 2014 as I'd have thought it was great then. I'm now reading it while being aware that the author has had to step down from his decades of church leadership as some serious allegations have been made against him. Some of the things being mentioned in these allegations being things that he speaks about in this book as not being acceptable behaviour.

It's basically all good advice but only if you live it out for real. I found it very readable but at the end am left trying to remember a lot of things and wondering if I'll do anything differently in my life. Like a lot of self-help books it's all good advice and mostly common sense but does the reader take action as a result of reading it?

[Mom2triplets04 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened on audio. This book is a great way to start off your new year. It has a positive message about being closer to God and clearing out the clutter in your life. I goes through every aspect of your life from family to work. It is a bit preachy but very inspirational and positive. It’s a book that you can refer to often. Happy reading.

[George P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

 Bill Hybels, Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Momentum, 2014). Hardcover / Kindle

This past summer was exhausting. Between work, chauffeuring our son to three sports on four different days, shuttling our oldest foster daughter to daycare and speech care, waking up several times a night to bottle feed our youngest foster daughter, and church and other activities, my wife and I felt tapped out. And so, when Bill Hybels mentioned the words “exhausted, overwhelmed, overscheduled, anxious, isolated, dissatisfied” on page 1 of his new book, he immediately grabbed my attention.

“Simplified living is about more than doing less,” Hybels writes. “It’s being who God called us to be, with a wholehearted, single-minded focus. It’s walking away from innumerable lesser opportunities in favor of the few to which we’ve been called and for which we’ve been created. It’s a lifestyle that allows us, when our heads hit the pillow at night, to reflect with gratitude that our day was well invested and the varied responsibilities of our lives are in order” (pp. 2–3). He goes on to write, “Simplified life requires more than just organizing your closets or cleaning out your desk drawers. It requires uncluttering your soul” (p. 3, emphasis in original).

Hybels shares Bible-based, experience-tested advice about how to do this in the book’s ten chapters. He shows you how to move from

exhausted to energized by replenishing your energy,
overscheduled to organized by prioritizing your calendar,
overwhelmed to in control by mastering your finances,
restless to fulfilled by refining your career choices,
wounded to whole by practicing forgiveness,
anxious to peaceful by confronting your fears,
isolated to connected by deepening your friendships,
drifting to focused by choosing and then living out your life verse,
stuck to moving on by welcoming new seasons in your life,
and from meaningless to satisfied by choosing to live now in the light of eternity.

Different readers will be attracted to different sections of this book. At this season in my life—feeling busy and tired all the time—I was especially interested in the first two chapters dealing with energy and calendar. As I read the book, however, I found myself reading the chapter on friendships with closer attention. Could it be that my life has too few deep relationships with non-family members? Whatever your interests or needs, my guess is that several of these chapters will address felt needs in your life.

So, what’s the best way to make use of this book? First, it’s tailor-made for individual use. Each chapter ends with an action step for readers to journal about. Page 311 gives a URL and promo code for online resources that readers can access for 90 days. Second, there is a DVD-based small group curriculum that can be used alongside the book. And third, I can imagine enterprising pastors using the book and DVD curriculum as elements of a multiweek sermon series campaign.

Now that I’ve read the book, I intend to read it again with my wife, working through those chapters that address issues we are experiencing in our current season of life. “We get one shot at this life,” Hybels writes in conclusion. “Choose a purposeful, God-first life, and you will reap rewards for today and for eternity” (p. 282).

P.S. If you found this review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.

[E.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to the title of this book. Simplify. Can't we all use some simplification in our lives? I know I can!

Bill approached the idea of "practices to unclutter your soul" with a light and intuitive perspective that I found refreshing. He used real life examples drawing from his own life and ministry as well as the lives of others he's interacted with. I also enjoyed how he included specific action points at the end of each chapter. For those willing to dig in deeper, he has provided a lot of great questions and activities to further growth.

The only thing that knocked it down from a solid 4 stars for me was that it really took me a long time to get through due to some lengthy, semi-surface level things. The overall approach Bill takes is great, but I found some parts dragging. There was definitely scripture incorporated, but I would have liked to see more exposition and drawing from Jesus' ministry to today. That may just be a personal preference thing for me when reviewing faith/theology based books.

I'd still definitely recommend it to any one interesting in decluttering their life. For those willing to take stock and be very practical about approaching simplification, they will find Simplify. a great resource and starting point.

Rating: 3.8*

Original post: http://eahendryx.blogspot.com/2015/03...
___________
I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.

[Jenny Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instead of doing New Year's Resolutions, I pick a theme I want to work on for each year. Last year my theme was focus. The goal was to simplify my life so my energy would be focused at a few critical goals instead of dispersed among many good, but not so important goals. Ever since I finished the year of focus, I've been interested in continuing to explore a simpler life. Because of this, I was eager to read Bill Hybel's book, Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul.

This book is excellent, except I'm not sure the title does the book justice. Yes, much of the content in the book deals with simplifying life, but the magic of this book is the many years of life experience that Bill Hybel's shares with his readers. He doesn't present it in a memoir form, but through much of the book, especially the chapter on friendship, it's obvious these are ideas and principles he's lived through. Especially being someone in ministry, I appreciated this life advice from someone who is walking a similar path to the one I'm walking down. I also appreciate the broadness of the categories he presented, from work, to relationships, to time management. I feel like I have a real treasure in my hands when I read this book. The wisdom contained in it is well worth the price.

I recommend this book to any Christian who is looking to make adjustments in their life. I especially recommend it to anyone in the ministry who simply needs a simpler life.

I was provided a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in return for my honest review.

[Justin Rosales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lessons Learned:

*Simple living starts with the strength to say no.

*Simple success starts with your schedule.

*We work 1/3 of our lives... Pursue your passions. If necessary, supplement your pay.


Noteworthy:

*Your schedule should be less about what you have to get done, and more about who you want to become.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive, overexplained, with a nugget of wisdom. Or two.

[Nola Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite 'simply', one of the best books I've ever read. It's taken me a few years to get through it. Not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because I got so much out of the first few chapters, I had to stop and try to apply it to my life. I've underlined lots of passages, taken notes, and written lists of applications. Now I just have to actually do them. So what's the big deal about this book?

As the title suggests, Bill Hybels looks at ten practices that will help simplify your life and help you to stay energised as you work towards your life goals. There is a little bit of advice about decluttering in one of the chapters, but it's so much more than that. It's about decluttering the inner you as well, whether that's in your work life, your finances, your relationships and more. The ten practices are:

From exhausted to energized
From overscheduled to organized
From overwhelmed to in control
From restless to fulfilled
From wounded to whole
From anxious to peaceful
From isolated to connected
From drifting to focused
From stuck to moving on
From meaningless to satisfied

The book has a Christian worldview, so there are references to God's purposes and the gifts He has given each of us to fulfil those purposes, but there are also a lot of practical examples that would be relevant to anyone seeking to simplify their lives. He gives lots of anecdotes and step-by-step practical advice so you can actually apply the principles. I've already read some of the chapters twice, as there was so much to take in. The chapter about decluttering your schedule is one I will need to keep returning to.

I found the book revolutionary to my thinking in many ways, such as the concept of pruning some relationships so you can deepen others. I'm the sort of person who tries to keep in touch with everyone I've met in my life. No matter my schedule gets cluttered! Some of the material was also challenging and definitely though-provoking. It's a book I know I will need to return to again and again. I can't recommend it highly enough.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book has a lot more depth than your average simplicity book. Hybels covers all the points you’d expect from a book on simplifying life: happiness, your schedule, diet, exercise, finances, etc. However, he focuses extensively on the end of your life. What’s REALLY the point of life? What are you going to be thinking about/concerned with when you’ve lived out your one and only life? Who will be at your funeral? What truly fulfills us?

This book didn’t really contain any new, earth shattering advice for me. Some sections seemed to drag on and I got really bogged down in the second half of the book. However, the reflections on life caused me to think a lot about my own life, what really matters, and the areas I need to improve. Hybels provides excellent reminders of topics that we really should think more about; his extensive reflections on relationships and the end of life set his book apart from others on the same subject.

[Tobiasz Niemasik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Świetna książka, podająca praktyczne wskazówki i pytania, w jaki sposób uprościć swoje życie i nie zmarnować czasu, który mamy, na rzeczy, które ostatecznie są mało znaczące. (Książka szczególnie dla osób wierzących).

[Jo Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some great principles to live by - focusing on the things that matter, and letting go of the things that don't. Lots of practical wisdom from Bill Hybels to apply to your life- no matter where you are on that journey.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too much Jesus-stuff in here for my taste but there were some good lessons here. Thanks, for the loaner, Hanna.

[Jorge · Rating 4 out of 5]

La vida es complicada pero podemos simplificaría. Si no sabe cómo, este libro te dará idea

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written with practical applications. Most challenging thought for me as I read this book is, "If God made my schedule,what would it look like?" I wish I had realized this, 20 years ago when I had small children and was teaching school.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://elleisforliterature.blogspot....

Let me start that I am not a fan of the Marie Kondo method and I will never be a minimalist. That being said, this book for prioritizing the focus and simplifying of your soul was excellent! It covers everything from Family, Work, Exercise, Friendships and more. He tells stories to enhance the point and get you to understand how you can apply these techniques to prioritize your life.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you don't read any other chapter of this book, read the chapter on Forgiveness. Oh man, WOW.

[Evan Hoekzema · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but didn’t blow me away. It fit the bill for the usual pastor book. Broad reaching in its topics, all written to help and encourage people as they live their lives. There were some good leadership nuggets in here, but nothing stands out above the rest.

[Marnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another take on simplifying your life, clearing out the clutter. Started out strong, lost a little steam along the way, stuck the landing.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a mega-church guy. The churches I have been a part of have been small; however I am not a mega-hater either. I recognize big churches often have resources that smaller churches do not and are doing Kingdom work. I recognize my life’s call is different but I appreciate several mega-church pastors. One such pastor I respect is Bill Hybels, founding pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois. He is a clear and effective communicator, a follower of Jesus and a pastor with nearly forty years of experience. I admit that I have a bias for smaller more organic models of church, but you have to respect that kind of faithful longevity in ministry!

Hybel’s new book Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul shares practical insights for having a lifestyle of freedom in Christ. These are insights that Hybel’s has learned personally and through his experience as a pastor: They include:

Replenishing your energy reserves.
Organizing your schedule to reflect who you want to become instead of what you need to get done.
Managing your finances
Refining your working world (doing what you were made to do!).
Making room for forgiveness.
Conquering your fears.
Deepening your friendships and relational circles.
Claiming God’s call on your life by finding a life verse to give you focus.
Welcoming new seasons into your life.
Leaving a godly legacy.
Many of the practices that Hybels suggests correspond to advice you would find in self-help books; yet this is not just a self-help book with a Christian veneer. Hybels wants people to experience all that God has for them in Christ. So when Hybels talks about organizing your life, he isn’t just talking about time management that will make you healthier, happier and more productive. He is hoping to help you become what you were meant to be a Christ follower (35). And when he shares about choosing a life verse he isn’t just giving us the Christian version of a personal vision statement. A life verse is a passage of scripture chosen to reflect God’s purpose for your life so that you can focus on what matters most. In each of these cases what Hybels is pressing us to pursue is something far deeper and richer than its secular equivalent.

Along the way Hybels dispenses lot of helpful tidbits. Regarding forgiveness, he gives detailed pastoral advice on how to let go of the small stuff (level one offenses), and work towards reconciliation and healing when there has been a real wrong done (level two offenses) or when there is profound damage done (level three offenses). He doesn’t offer easy answers (simple doesn’t always mean easy) but gives guidance which helps us to pursue wholeness and healing. Hybels helps us attend to the health of our relationships and deeping our connection with other believers. I personally found his discussion of organization and finances to be insightful because he takes the two most coveted commodities in our culture (time and money) and illustrates how managing these well helps you experience the deep joy and serve God better.

Anyone could read this book profitably but Christians will find it particularly useful. I underlined and dog marked several pages which I plan to return to personally, and also because I think that Hybels illustrates well about how to talk about issues with others. Hybels is gracious in what he says and how he says it and I think I can learn from that. I give this book four stars.

Notice of material connection: I received this book from Tyndale so that I could share with you my honest review.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to have a few of Bill Hybels' sermons on cassette; I even saw him speak once at Willow Creek. Back then, I appreciated his insights, and I still do today.
The vocabulary he uses doesn't always work for me, but the content behind it is still good. I especially liked the chapter on forgiveness. If you only read one chapter in the book (I don't know why you'd do this, but you might), read this one.
The book is directed specifically at Christians who want to simplify their lives. The ten practices mentioned in the title all have a biblical origin. Some chapters resonated with me more than others, but overall it was good stuff.

[Denise Barreto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this book in August and just got arouund to reading it in late December and finished it the other day. Divine Intervention. Without question, a timely and relevant read from one of my favorite leaders. This practical guide has me already tweaking how I look at my life and I'm already employing some of it's great and simple advice. Looking to simplify things and clear your soul to do what you are put on this planet to do? This is your tome.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began the year reading this book. It's a good read anytime but especially during a fresh start like the new year. A good small group book as well.

I came across this verse while reading it and highlighted it among other things:

"Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known." Habakkuk 3:2

[Becca Feldhacker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Update: disgusted to have just learned that Hybels is among the growing group of church leaders who are shitty.

Overall nothing groundbreaking, but some good reframing of how to simply structures and relationships in our lives to simplify.

Some parts made it seem like this was unnecessarily a Christian book…like self help with Scripture unnecessarily sprinkled in to validate what was said.

[piet van genderen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indien de typisch Amerikaanse opvattingen worden weg gefilterd blijft er een stimulerend en praktisch boek over dat richtinggevend is om in de hectiek van het bestaan dichter bij God te leven.

[Wesley Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Simplify" by Pastor Bill Hybels was a well-written and well-thought out book for people, like me, who needed to simplify some areas of my life. I picked this book up about a month ago at Booksamillion after a afternoon of browsing. The pastor does a great job getting to the core areas where most people need to take a hard look and start simplifying their lives in order to serve our Lord Jesus Christ with a fuller "cup". There are ten chapters and each one of them helped me figure out where I need to eliminate some junk in my life. At the end of each chapter, I did take the time to reflect, pray over and jot down the answers to Hybels' "Action Steps". I strongly recommend that others do the same. I learned quite a bit about where I am in this season of life right now based on Pastor Hybels' questions. I also have been putting some thought into and praying over having a life verse that I can grasp onto in the day to day of life, and also in the storms that may come my way. I've never had one before really, but in Chapter 8 he makes a strong case to have one. I am leaning towards 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." Chapter 9 also was challenging to me, "Welcoming New Seasons in Your Life" with discussion of Solomon and Ecclesiastes 3. And I am still thinking about Hybels' writing in Chapter 10: "The Legacy of a Simplified Life". This has stuck with me, regarding a man who faithfully served Jesus Christ, quietly and passioniately:

"This man spent his one and only life well. He kept the clutter at bay and led simplified days of purpose, significance, and satisfaction." (p. 277)

The other sentence in "Simplify" that has resonated with me was:

"I cannot leave the topic of work without asking you one final question: Have you ever been tapped on the shoulder by God, or has the Holy Spirit ever whispered to you and asked you to cancel out of your current gig and become a pastor? Or to pursue a similar career that helps bring God's kingdom to earth? If so, did you brush it off? Or laugh it off?" (p. 105)

To be continued... :)

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being the anxious worrier that I am, always second-guessing how I'm living my life, I'm up for any kind of self-help book that put things into perspective (even if I don't follow the author's religious background). I was really open-minded to the ideas Bill had to offer, most of which are good nuggets of wisdom creating a schedule that works for you, finding affirmations that keep you calm and grounded, and organizing your relationships. His writing is concise and conversational; at times it felt like he was talking to a friend, but his outlook sometimes came across as patronizing. Halfway through the book, the stories he tells to prove his points felt repetitive, and at times, judgmental towards people who don't live his lifestyle. (For example, he downplayed the accomplishments of Olympians working hard to earn their medals as fruitless, but felt it was totally acceptable for him to take part in boating races and working hard to win first place. There are several double standards that made me do a double-take given his profession and calling in life). His book gave me the idea of just simplifying my mindset and trying not to blow things out of proportion. This is just a simple read.

[Natalie Shawver · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bill Hybels believes that when we spend our lives doing things that keep us busy but don't really matter, we sacrifice things that do. I couldn't agree more.

He encourages readers to live the life God has called you to live and build a legacy for those you love. How to achieve this? Unclutter your soul (aka get rid of the stuff that leaves your spirit drained and feeling disconnected).

While the book didn't really grab me like I was hoping it would, there were two tidbits that I'm taking with me:

1. "Forgiveness is not a simple process. Believe me, I know. It means we fully acknowledge the wrong that was done to us, grieve over what has been lost, and yet eventually let the other person off the hook. We release them. We let them go. Not for their sake, but for our own and for Christ's."
2. Hybels discusses the power of adopting a life verse—a verse of scripture that acts as your anchor, leaving you centered and renewed. I absolutely loved this idea and looked back on my life to realize I've had several life verses for various chapters.

In theory, Simplify was on point. I just didn't love it.