SIMPLIFY!

Simplify. This is something I feel strong strongly about... and try to make a priority in my life. It's much easier said than done, though!

We tend to think of *things* first when we think of simplifying -- and this makes perfect sense because, unfortunately, the world we live in does not, in general, promote simplification. On the contrary, we as consumers are inundated with the messages: Buy! Replace! Upgrade! Get new! Get better! Get faster! Get bigger! Get more, more, MORE! "Keeping up with the Jones's" could be our national motto.

And hey, believe me... I love my *stuff* as much as the next girl... but here's the problem with STUFF. You have to devote so much TIME to it. *Stuff* typically needs maintained, upkept, dusted, cleaned, organized, and insured. And we worry about our stuff... so much can happen to it -- it can get broken, lost, or stolen. And when we get too much stuff, it starts to become clutter... and we can start to feel a bit claustrophobic... ironically smothered by our own beloved stuff.

But simplifying means MORE than just clearing out *stuff* that you don't need and aren't using. Simplifying, to me, also means working hard to consistently make life choices (large and small) that don't bog us down or complicate our lives. I am a firm believer that the cumulative power of good decisions is the best tool we have to simplify our lives.

One of the best ways, I think, to do this is to be as proactive as possible. Procrastinating or putting off decisions (which is a decision in itself, by the way!) puts us at the mercy of others... and can often put us in situations that are uncomfortable, stressful, or (at best) unnecessary -- a waste of our valuable time. If we are not proactive, we become (by default) REACTIVE... and that's never in our best interests. At that point, it often just becomes damage-control.

What is the advantage of a simpler life? More time to enjoy our lives. Instead of feeling like we are living on the proverbial hamster wheel, running as fast as we can and getting nowhere... we can feel in control of our lives, and our time. This means more time to be able to do the more important things in life... the things that refresh and recharge us, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

And in this crazy, fast-paced world we live in, I think that's a goal well worth striving for.