观察什么过程或事件会导致人们去选择一种更为简单的生活，是很有意思的事。有许多人因为经历了严重的疾病或挚爱的人的死亡而选择简单的生活。我们都知道，这些事件往往会让人停下来思考，然后对生活做出判断。还有些人选择简单的生活是因为他们想有更多的时间来陪孩子。但我认

Passage One:
    I had achieved the so-called American Dream to a large extent by my late thirties. My husband and I lived in Los Angeles, where I practiced law. I earned a six-figure income and enjoyed the expensive clothes and vacations that my salary afforded. I was respected in my profession. But after ten years of practicing law, I started to question everything. What kind of contribution was I making to society? How would I feel at retirement looking back on my career? After considerable soul searching and journal writing, I concluded that I did not want to spend the next 30 years of my life helping people fight each other.
Passage Two:
    It was interesting to look at what processes or events led people to adopt a simpler lifestyle. There were a number of people who chose simplicity after experiencing a serious illness or death of a loved one. We know that these events often get people to stop, think, and take stock of their lives. Other people decided to live more simply so that they could spend more time raising their children. But I think the presence of stress and lack of time were the dominant motivating factors that led people to simplicity.