Five Suggestions to Reach the Point of Simplicity

As I sit here and compose this message, I find myself struggling with the most effective way to communicate this philosophy because I am not necessarily the model of the lesson that I would like to share. But with this being said, the love of my life enlightened me the other night when she confronted my beliefs and opened my eyes to a deeper meaning of a challenge that many people face during their lives. As a result, I am confident this message will echo in your world, while empowering you to take congruent action with what you are looking to achieve, since you will now listen to your internal being and ignore the voice of society.

In order to introduce this basic tenant, I am going to share a conversation that I had at a dinner party last week. As I sat with my girlfriend and another couple, we began discussing various philosophies about life and events which seemed to influence our being. The gentleman that we were dining with mentioned a revelation that recently took place when he was watching his dog and his unconditional level of happiness. He began to realize that his dog obviously lived by means of simplicity where the nicest car, vacations, highest paying career, largest house, etc. did not dictate the amount of joy that surfaced in the dog’s life. This level of awareness actually resulted in jealousy on the part of my friend because he is consistently chasing something that does not exist. He is a high powered attorney, who lives in a multi-million dollar home, drives the most expensive cars, sends his children to summer camps, takes vacations around the world, yet feels completely unfulfilled and exhausted. He informed us that he desires to simplify and begin enjoying the little things in life, but unfortunately does not know where to begin. He is plagued with responsibilities and there is truly no end in sight as a result of the obligations that he has accepted into his life. But with this being said, my girlfriend made a profound statement when she told our friend, “Simplicity is relative.”

In order for all of you understand the depth behind these three words, I encourage you to alter the way you think about your life while determining if your choices are in alignment with your purpose. This is exactly why the concept of simplicity is relative as it is unique to the beholder. Simplicity is not only a way of being, but can also be a way of thinking. What you may consider to be a simple life might be completely incongruent for someone else.

There are many beliefs and studies which prove that during our twenties and thirties we are in consumption mode as we attempt to accumulate as much money, experiences, “things,” etc. until we reach our forties and fifties and realize that there is more to life than living in constant motion and defining ourselves by what we have. But I personally do not believe that age is the deciding factor when it comes to simplicity, and instead, solely depends on the level of clarity that you have for your life’s mission. If your highest value is financial abundance, then in turn, your accumulation period should be one that results in a simplicity frame of mind, but if does not, then it is time to change your “stinkin thinking.”

One of my all-time favorite books was written by Dr. Charles Berg and is entitled, “Is Your Lifestyle Killing You? What are You Chasing and Why?” In this must read book, Dr. Berg discusses the meaning of simplification and how this manifested in his life. His transparency allows you to see where he once was, and then the journey he took to get to where he is today, as he enjoys a life filled with the little things that bring an immense amount of personal fulfillment. Dr. Berg provides a wonderful symbol as he relates life to a vinyl record where we feel stuck on the same track and go around in circles reciting the exact same story that we tell ourselves. But what Dr. Berg does so wonderfully is allow us to realize that at any point in time we can make the choice to change songs, which is symbolic of changing what it is that we do so that a different result is elicited.

What I encourage you to realize is that many of us struggle because we are constantly chasing something that in all actuality does not even exist. The result is a life of complication as our needs are rarely met, and we feel inadequate regardless of our accomplishments. But like my girlfriend so eloquently stated, simplicity is relative, which means your doings do not necessarily need to be simplified, but instead, the way you think should be your sole focus. Personally, I thrive when living an “on-the-go lifestyle,” as it brings an incredible degree of excitement into my world since the unknown is something that fascinates my being. For example, right now in my life, I just accepted an incredible business opportunity, in two weeks I will be moving into a new apartment with the love of my life, I have been blessed with the opportunity to speak at various universities, and this list continues. The point that I am stressing is that prior to having the conversation about the relativity of simplicity, I thought my life was chaotic because I compared by doings with what society considers simple. But what I learned is that simplicity is a state of mind, and as a result, I am living a simple life that is congruent with my mission and purpose while allowing me to be crystal clear on my objectives so that my dreams will become realities.

Therefore, the question that I pose to you is the following:

What does YOUR simple life look and feel like?

In order to become a catalyst in your thought process, I am going to share Five Suggestions to Reach the Point of Simplicity that I have used in my life and also shared with many other people over the course of time. This list is obviously not all-inclusive, because simplicity is a relative term and unique to the beholder, so I encourage you to read this list, embrace it, make it your own, and then ACT upon it so that you too can have a SIMPLE STATE OF MIND!

1. Joy without a cost

What I have learned is that people often associate “fun” with the amount of money that was spent on the event, activity, vacation, etc. But the key to a simplified way of thinking and living is to find joy without a cost. This could consist of a walk through nature while you observe the magnificence of your surrounding environment; you may enjoy taking long drives with a loved one and then having a picnic in a secluded area, or maybe lighting a fire in your home with your entire family. The point that I am making is that regardless of what you do, it is critical to find “SOMETHING” that brings you joy without a cost.

2. Slow Down and Focus

Similar to how my attorney friend was unsure of where to begin this process because his responsibilities are overwhelming, this technique is one that he could implement and notice lasting results in his life. The beauty of life is that it is an art which means there is no formula for LIVING. Therefore, if your circumstances result in a chaotic environment, I encourage you to realize that the only thing you are able to control is the way you interpret the events in your life and then how these situations influence your being.  If you find that the minutia is too severe, you must slow down, even if it is only for a moment, and focus on the YOU. Ask yourself introspective questions as to how your actions will benefit you in the RIGHT NOW while also considering all of the achievements which have taken place in your life. Remember, life is similar to the four seasons and if you currently feel like you are living in the winter months, I encourage you to recognize that spring is just around the corner, but you must SLOW DOWN and FOCUS!

3. Donate the unused

Society has forced us to think that the “more things” we have the happier we will be. I believe that there is nothing wrong with enjoying the luxuries of the world, but once they begin to define you, voids will become apparent. Chaos is often born because our “things” consume our life as we continue to chase something that does not exist. But what I have found is that those who are committed to sharing their luxuries with the less fortunate are often free from the rat race in their existence. Therefore, if you don’t USE IT, LOSE IT, which means that it is time to donate the “things” in your life that are collecting dust. This technique is one that could potentially result in major emotional breakthroughs because those who implement this approach will realize that their BRANDENTITY is far more than a “thing” as they experience the power of giving for the sake of giving!

4. R&R

In this context, R&R refers to rest and reflection because in order to have a simplistic mindset, we need to permit ourselves, at least once every two weeks, to sit in silence and reflect on our lives. This approach is one that could have a far-reaching impact because it will force you to recognize and acknowledge what has taken place over the course of your life. I often find that people who have achieved so much, and this has nothing to do with their financial landscape, are insecure because they do not provide themselves with the opportunity to recognize what has been accomplished. They live a life as a shell of who they could be because of their lack of self-confidence and their deficiency when it comes to simplistic thinking. Therefore, invest however much time you need to take in the miracles in your world. Find a place that allows you to lose track of time as you enjoy quality R&R while simplifying the way you mind works so that you begin to recognize you for being YOU!

5. Compare No More

The final suggestion that I am going to share is one that has allowed me to come to terms with my simple way of thinking because prior to the conversation about the relativity of simplicity, I did not feel like I was the appropriate person to share a philosophy that I was not leading. But what I recognized, as a result of this enlightenment, is that I possess a simple mindset which allows me to live with chaos even though I have a tremendous amount of responsibility. This revelation was the direct result of putting a halt on the comparison game that I was losing with society. This fifth suggestion is one that I encourage all of you to consider implementing in your life in ALL areas. When we compare ourselves with the framework of what “society” considers the norm, we lose a sense of who we are as we are never able to fit the mold. Therefore, if you desire to reach the point of simplicity in your life, remember that the only person or thing that you need to compare yourself against is yourself and as long as you feel fulfilled, then you have achieved your goal.

I want to reiterate that this list is NOT all-inclusive because as I have already mentioned, simplicity is relative and unique to the beholder. But my goal with providing these suggestions is that you will begin this process in your own way. Simplicity is within all of us, it just takes a conscious effort to access the power associated with this way of thinking. Therefore, I am not going to define what simplicity should mean to you because this is something that only you will be able to determine, but I encourage you to make the commitment to yourself because a life of chaos, where you are chasing something that does not exist, will only take you further away from living a life of fulfillment. So make today, the first day of a journey, one that allows you to embark on an adventure where you begin to realize that simplicity is rather simple to achieve.

What does YOUR simple life look and feel like?

What does this mean to you? Please leave a comment.

Some pictures from Flickr.

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