Life gets complicated but it really can get simpler.
More accurately, our approach to Life can be made simpler. Life will always be complicated.
It all starts with simplifying. Finding the joy in a summer afternoon in Nature, or just the welcome voice of a friend on the phone (sometimes even an email).
Recognizing the simpler things around us can make us whole.
Too Busy
Count it as a side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic but reconnecting with our true natures, not the highly suspect social commentaries found in our media feeds, is an essential activity right now. We need to heal and grow from our experiences, even at a time when groups are working to interfere with that healing.
It is not selfish to prioritize ourselves. There comes a time when we need to tell others to take a hike. Groups do not prioritize the welfare of individuals. Ever.
In taking on the responsibility of caring for ourselves, concentrating on self is a solid first step. The “what” and “how” follow logically. Making it fit is the challenge. Especially when we have allowed too many unimportant activities to take root.
Letting Go
There is a great concept called minimalism. Distilling down to the essential and casting off the non-essential.
Releasing anger surprised me. It was like dropping a feather from my grasp and watching it float away on the breeze.
Apply minimalism to your decision-making. Find out what is truly important in life and what is not. Your choice. The distinction between the two may surprise you.
Like many people, I confess to being a hoarder of emotion – usually negative ones. As a child of divorce, I was in the middle of many ugly fights between parents. The result was a deep anger related to both parents that I held for years.
Carrying anger that felt like oversized luggage just became normal. Given the nature of hindsight, letting go of the anger did not even occur to me.
Getting older brought about some personal homework and I eventually looked at what I was doing. The result was letting go of that emotional baggage. Releasing anger surprised me. It was like dropping a feather from my grasp and watching it float away on the breeze. Only when I was carrying the negative emotions was it ever heavy.
Reconnect
I am frequently discovering how a little simplicity can produce outsized results.
The most profound simplicity is that of Human touch. Whether a courtesy extended or the physical intimacy of a hug or handshake, connecting with other people is one of those simple and essential activities that makes us feel whole.
People are hard-wired to be together.
Especially after the isolation of the pandemic and the ongoing social divisions that we are experiencing, it is essential that we reconnect with one another. Whether an old friend or a casual acquaintance, reach out.
If reaching out feels a little uncomfortable, that is normal. We are all a little out of practice right now. The important thing is to connect with people again and frequently.
Do this for you. Do this for us. And just keep it simple.
Simplifying your life is about simplifying yourself.
― Tamerlan Kuzgov
Dad's Back 