TOW#464 — Life is (not) simple
“It is very simple to be happy,
but it is very difficult to be simple.”
Rabindranath Tagore
Whether you’ve heard this quote before, or another pearl of wisdom or saying, either in written or some other form, I’m sure we’re all aware of this or a similar idea. Life is beautiful, life is easy, life is positive, and so on. We’re also aware that theoretically it’s all very true, but of course the problem is implementing it in practice. As always, theory and practice are two very different things, so we find it hard to apply this knowledge into our everyday lives.
Why do we find it so hard to live a simple life?!
• Surroundings: you know that standard answer to the question “what is darkness?” — it’s the absence of light. We could do something similar with the question on the simplicity of life, though of course the correlation between a complex environment and a simple life is not so clear cut. However, whether you believe it or not, our surroundings do affect us all. We’re all slaves to time (“I have to be there at that time”, “She’s coming in a few hours”, “I have to go in five minutes”, etc.), slaves to technology, slaves to work, slaves to relationships (interpersonal, family, friends, marriage), pressure from money, salary, bills, and so on. All of it complicates our lives. All of it accumulates and makes life not so simple.
o What can be done: it’s all up to you (us). A universal rule is that no one can do anything to you if you don’t allow it. We must have a strong mind and emotional system in order to cope with daily pressures and complex situations.
• The essence of things: although things seem complex, they’re usually very simple. Next time you get into a heated argument with someone, stop for a moment and see where the quarrel has taken you, as opposed to where it began. You’ll see that what you’re talking about has nothing to do with the initial point of disagreement.
o What can be done: get to the bottom of conversations. Ask questions, paraphrase, do everything you need to so you can get to the essence.
• Expectations: we’re always expecting something big to happen to us, to earn that big money, to achieve that big aim.
o What can be done: we must revise both our expectations of ourselves and of others. Furthermore, try to find a balance between opportunities and expectations. Setting unrealistic expectations makes their realisation seem much more difficult and complicated.
• Our perspective: in addition, one major factor affecting the complexity of our lives is our view of it. Unfortunately, our mind, because of the negative influences that surround us, will always focus on the most negative aspects of any situation. Usually it’s our perspective of a particular situation that we don’t like, rather than the situation itself. Another problem is that we always see things from our own ‘I’ or ‘ME’ perspective.
o What can be done: when you find yourself in a situation you don’t like, try to look at things from another perspective. Change the point of observation. Also, seeing things from the ‘YOU’ perspective can make life a little easier.
I don’t know how to simplify life, but if some smart people say that it truly is simple, then at least let’s not complicate things and always try to simplify them as much as we can.
Wishing you success with the changes to come,
Petar Lazarov
“Tip of the Week” Team member
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