"Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple,
and the simple thing is the right thing."
- Oscar Wilde
Today I stumbled upon a curious website: http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/11/01/60-ways-to-make-life-simple-again/ This site is aimed to “make life simple again”. God knows that we need that. We all yearn for the days of playing in the mud, running around in the yard for no other reason other than we liked the sound of our own feet as they hit dead leaves. These were good days. Somewhere along the way, responsibilities were given to us and we began to stress about things. Then we began to need caffeine in the morning so that we would have enough energy to wake up and accomplish all of these responsibilities that are, inevitably, very boring. Sadly, there’s not much that I can say to alleviate the responsibilities that we all face. But the website points out 60 things that they think will help to make us happier. Or at least reduce the stress of daily interactions.
Communication is the first on the list. I must say, this is one of the things that people have the biggest problem with. We never just say what we mean. Why is that? Personally, I sometimes feel that there is a tactical advantage in not telling the other person everything or maybe I just don’t feel like sharing. Okay, okay, I admit that this is not the best thing to do. We are bred to believe, that people are out to get us and that knowledge is the only thing that we have. There is an anonymous quote that I’ve learned that says, “There are two things that will help you survive: 1. Don’t tell everyone everything you know.”
Do you think that it is possible to still communicate effectively while not actually sharing the meat of the situation?
The next piece of advice given by this site is something that I’m really sure about. It says to not be friends with everyone around you. Yes, you should be polite, but you should really spend time on the relationships with the people who matter the most. This is kind of a big thing for me. Though I tend not to like everyone I meet, I do try to be nice to everyone. At least I try for a spell. Some people, though, mistake kindness for friendship. I am sure that I have been on the other end of this interaction more than a few times myself as well. How can you distinguish who will be a life long friend and who will just appear for a moment if they do not give them the opportunity?
The fourth item on this list is the one that I have the most problems with, “live below your means”. I have gotten better from being in China. But still, I am not good at it. For me, I will live below my means for a time, saving money all the while. Then, I will see something that I want or something that will contribute to one of my hobbies and I will spend my hard saved money on that. This cycle continues until something else comes along. I am great at creating budgets and savings plans. I run into the most trouble, though, when following the plans that I have set out. I think that I would have the most luck if I had someone who was in charge of my finances who I had to go and ask for money. Someone like a wife or something. ::smiles::
Anyway, take the time to read over this list for yourself. Don’t take everything literally, because they are just suggestions. But, It will definitely give you something to think about.
Dios vos bendiga
Akil
