"I never really hated the one true God, but the god of the people I hated"

10 Steps to Simplify Your Life
1) Relationships: Sort through all the relationships you are part of, and weed out the good from the bad. Only in this is there the possibility to gain fresh new outlooks on the world and on other people.

2)Possessions: You are not your possessions, you are not your friends and family, you are not your awards and degrees. You are matter made conscious. You are a physical object with the ability to think!

3) Money:
Money is important, we need to earn it, we need to spend it, but it should not be the all encompassing reason for our lives. We should not spend our entire life in the constant pursuit of it thinking that it will solve our problems. Lastly we should not waste the money we do have!

4) Work
Relax, kick back and enjoy the world around you. Money isn't needed to do something that simple, so working your life away is just silly. Don't let your job determine how your life is run, find a job based on your life style!

5) Religion
The world needs a savior. The masses need direction.

Religion has been around since the beginning of sentience. Because all religion really is, is a way to explain the natural world around us that is not understandable through conscious observation. Lighting cannot be explained by watching it, it has to be studied, and that is why primitive man thought that gods created it. Sure we understand cause and effect, opposites, symbolism and many other non physical obsessions of the world. And after centuries of scientific study we finally understand much of the natural universe around us. But we don't understand matter and life. We still don't know *why* we exist or how we came to be!
And that is the last great question. The last pillar that religion stands on. Once those questions are answered (and I believe they will be) we will no longer need to seek answers in false prophets and institutionalized religions. There will always be a need to show your thankfulness for life and your faith in the world around you, but that can be done on your own and without the stigma and dogma that comes with all the worlds religions.
With all of this said. A simple way to simplify your life, is to just not let religion make you do anything you don't feel comfortable doing. Your life is your religion. If someone asks what you are you tell them "I am myself I believe in my path". You don't need to follow the path of someone who went before you. Siddhartha Gautama and Jesus of Nazareth were incredible people as was Mohammad, John Smith, Lao Tzu, and hell L Ron Hubbard. However that doesn't make their (or more precisely their followers over the ages) perception of reality, and the best way to circumnavigate it, any better than yours!
Take aspects of all great world religions and philosophies and create your own religion. Pagan, Abrahamic, Dharmic, Modern all of these types of religions make incredible points and give great advice. Many of them have done great things for the world. But how can any single one of them have it right over the rest of them? They just can't, so why not incorporate them all! I have found it a great way to simplify my life, by understanding, respecting, and to some extent following all the religions. It is impossible for me to get in to an argument over faith, because I believe in your faith just as much as mine! Problem is most other people don't give another's faith any credence! Start respecting your neighbor as you do yourself, not just your next door neighbor but your neighbors on this planet, all of them!