Simplifying
Have you ever thought of simplifying life, doing less, having more time for stuff we enjoy ? A Blog post by Ian Tan titled Wiping Away the Material Life got me thinking again. It's so easy to let the busy-ness of the everyday railroad our direction and I have to admit being occupied with work, design and dealling with making samples for the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Mega Show took much of my time away from living with awareness of where I saw myself.
Ok ..... in case you think I am one of those zen types, I am not. There's no Yoga, no new age direction, no spike in being more religious ......... only the wanting to be more in touch with how my actions can benefit my family or the environments i am in.
What guides your direction ? For me it's the word Simplify.
Previously I took it to mean cutting back and learning to live with less. But I've since realised it's damn HARD to let go of doing things, stuff we are used to or feel passionately about. Simplifying to me these days means pacing out my activities, enjoying the quiet slow times to just flow along in the day's rythm, to make less plans, as much as I can, to spend less and want less, to find more time connecting with family and friends. It means letting go of expectations (one I have the toughest time with), to accept situations as they occur and make the best of it. To consciously tell myself anger and resentment will cage us till it becomes impossible to react sensibly, making life complicated.
If you've been on my Facebook you might've seen the post about a Designer's work being copied and the copy sold online. It wasn't my project, and the anger I felt came from knowing the feeling of a design being stolen. Did the person know it was unethical and still chose to continue, or was she just unaware ? And what does this all have to do with Simplifying ?
Well, we cannot control what people do or say. nor expect them to understand (all the time) why we disagree with them. No matter how much we discuss, there will always be two sides of the story, who's right, who's wrong, an unending drama. If Simplifying life is my goal, in this case I choose NOT to prolong the drama, and let it go. That person will continue to do what she does .... or not ..... but after stating my opnion, no more wasting time thinking about the situation.
Choosing our battles wisely does not mean we do not care or have no opinion. It just means prioritising our energy and choosing positive surroundings and being with people who matter.
Well ...... it's the weekend, here's wishing you fun ahead !!
Cheers, Aida.
