Simplifying our lives

Ε. F Schumacher said once: «Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius, and a lot of courage, to move in the opposite direction.» And it’s true. We live in a society full of intelligent fools trying to simplify their lives, while ending up making them even more complex. We shouldn’t leave ourselves out of this counting though. It seems that we are all links of the same heavy chain.

We have reached at a point of wasting our energy and money on redundant things. Our lives and houses are full of useless objects, our mobile phones are full of "contacts", but it seems that we need more and more communication. How nice it would be if we could observe the great example of nature : Everything happens for a reason , money doesn't buy anything , life is simple and energy is precious.

On a daily basis, life would be a lot more pleasant and closer to the real meaning of  “well-being”, as ancient Greeks defined it, if it was characterized by simplicity. If we were released , for example, from all those stressful thoughts that torture us everyday, if we were closer to nature, if we could find the balance between the instinct of survival, and our desires. If our targets were aiming for pure freedom.

  

Unfortunately though, the human nature is not simple. It is an endless farrago of needs, impulses, pleasures and phobias, that all together synthesize a specific way of life. What is more, we are always surrounded by people that influence us consciously or subconsciously : our family , friends , partners and co-workers create an invisible web of social pressure around us. It is a true temptation, indeed, to receive compliments for our attainments. However, in that way,  we tend to forget what we really need, who we really are in depth. We compare ourselves with others, we get jealous for the things that we don't have and as a result, we transform our lives into a daily marathon.  

It would be really difficult to invent an absolute definition of simple life. People have always different rhythms and the process of changing them it is objective attempt , that requires time, honesty, discipline, and introspection. We are often confused about our priorities and we are afraid to say “no”, to reject the unnecessary. That is because we have time and space to oscillate , until we finally yield to pressure. Think of how many people you know, or you read about, that, after a hard period , an illness , a loss or an accident they changed completely their minds about what is important and what is not. We need to be persuaded that in life, we don’t constantly sit on examinations and we will never fulfill the unrealistic dream of an absolute satisfaction of our wills. Here are some ways of doing it :

Dare to say “no” :  How many times did you agree with something that you didn’t really want to, because of guilt or fear that you will be rejected? And the worse part, of course, is that, once this pile of conventional acceptances starts growing , you’re losing a part of yourself at the same time. In order to satisfy others , you gradually forget what you really want. Many people describe that as a need for oxygen. Breathing without feeling guilty is of vital importance.

ü   Organize your mind: Dare to make to-do lists and follow them every day. It provides a sense of security that doesn’t allow you to get lost. Reduce over-thinking and getting lost in choices. Follow your intuition.

     Reduce the drama: Unspoken failures , bad gossip and complaints about mistakes release toxicity. Face your problems and complexes with honesty, admit your mistakes , talk about them openly and remember that you only have chosen how to think and spend your life. Stop worrying about things that you know in depth, it doesn't worth sweating about. Forgive yourself eventually, and move on.

         

     Plan your future: Make a 5-month or even a one- year plan about the things you would want to accomplish. It doesn't matter if you check out all of them. During the journey you may discover things about yourself that you couldn't imagine.

     Life is like a piece of art, that prevents you from seeing its true meaning, if you only have one point of view. Taking some steps back will help us evaluate things from a distance and finally, appreciate them in the right way.

 

     Albedo (Μαρία)

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