Vivid Views is my series of articles, blog posts and press releases show-casing my work as an author and reflecting my many years in business and self-employment. They are a blend of my real life experiences, professional insights, personal views and fun stories.
My hope is that in them you find enlightenment and inspiration. 'To Be Or Not To Be Simple?' is the 9th in the series.
I am a great believer in simple. Simple is best and simple works. Following on from that there is no need to have complexity in your life. In fact, the more complicated your life and those people and things in it, then the less likely you are to be successful in your pursuits and endeavours and the less likely you are to experience contentment and joy. So it's necessary to expel the complex and the complicated from your life. Here's how to do it :
Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle of it. Now you have two columns. At the head of the left hand column write the word 'Simple'. At the head of the right hand column write the word 'Complex'.
Over the next couple of days, weeks or months (take as long as you need, be thorough), list down in either column all those things in your life - activities, work, people, pursuits, hobbies, relationships, emotions, possessions, whatever – which you consider to be simple (as in easy to deal with, produces no stress or difficulty, are fun, light and enjoyable and benefit people other than yourself) and all those things you know to be complex (as in complicated, consume too much time, cause you unhappiness, distress, loss of esteem etc.) in the respective columns. When you are finished you will most likely find that upwards of fifty percent of your items, often as high as ninety percent, will be in the right hand, complex column. Yes, the majority of people fill their lives with complicated and therefore wasteful and unrewarding work, pursuits and relationships. But, whatever the result, the next bit is the important thing.
Score through the complex column with a heavy black line. Better still, rip the column off and chuck it in the bin. Best of all, screw it up and burn it. Watch with joy as you see all those horrible and destructive complex matters go up in smoke. It will be like a huge release for you, a weight off your shoulders, a cleansing of the spirit.
Now, from this day onwards, work only on doing and enjoying those things which remain in your intact left hand, simple column. These will now form the mainstay of your existence. With all the complex stuff eliminated you will now have extra time and energy and the freedom to concentrate on your simple, and therefore more rewarding, aspects of life. That's it.
It may be that you are astounded by the sheer simplicity of what I am proposing. You shouldn't be. As I said at the outset – simple is best and simple works. To be or not to be simple is a simple no-brainer.
Following is my own 'simple' list. It encompasses all that I set out to achieve on a daily basis, no more no less. Warning! It is ultra simple :
* Enjoy Nature - Fresh Air, Sunshine, Flowers, Forests, Rivers, Mountains, Oceans, Wild Life
* Appreciate and Give Thanks Daily for – Health and Fitness, Shelter and a Happy Home, Good Food, Laughter and Love
* Be Kind and Generous to Others, Spread Joyfulness, Knowledge and Fun
* Create Profit (a) Spiritual and (b) Financial and Material for (i) Others and (ii) Myself
Simple, isn't it?
I am Tom Riach. I live and write in the sunny south of Portugal.
My latest novel is 'Too Early For A Glass Of Wine?' Claim your copy by clicking on the image below.
TO BE OR NOT TO BE SIMPLE? is an original copyright Tom Riach feature.
I hope you enjoyed this Vivid View and found it to be of value.
To learn more please visit me on my Author Page.
See you there! Regards, Tom.
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