Enjoy Your Life - Keep It Simple
Do you enjoy life to the fullest? Do you keep it simple?
Now it may sound like a bit of a peculiar question coming from someone who tends to fly around like a fart in a wind-tunnel… and even more so in light of the fact that I’ve added the “Prove It Challenge” to my ongoing list of things to do.
To absolve the weirdness of this question, I’d first of all like to point out that I am thrilled to have taken on this extra task… and I enjoy being busy and ambitious; but lately, especially due to losing one of my beloved friends Dan Bee, I find myself once again reflecting on an array of things and how I/we should all just enjoy life and keep it simple.
While I fully believe learning new things and pushing ourselves beyond our boundaries is indeed exhilarating and allows us to experience many things we otherwise would not, (and I totally think we need this entrepreneurial spark to enhance fulfillment) we must always enjoy life and have fun in the process.
This morning, I didn’t have the foggiest idea which topic I wanted to write about even though I do have a list of future posts lined up. I suppose it was more of a question of which one I ‘felt’ like tackling… and which one looked the tastiest and most fitting for my feelings of late.
After dropping my kids off at school, my friend called to RSVP for my Daughters Birthday party planned for this coming Friday. (Another task on my things to do!)
While talking to her, I told her of the loss of my friend Dan. I shared with her some of the life lessons I learned from him … and a few points of view on ‘what’s important’ and what is not.
She agreed wholeheartedly and shared a few of her own challenges and recent heartaches.
We went on to discuss and ponder further how it can be difficult to enjoy your life due to the way society is in general… but also how we allow ourselves to get caught up in things that really don’t matter. We put SO much pressure on ourselves sometimes. We bind ourselves to time restraints, we sweat the small stuff & when we can’t achieve everything we feel we should, we stress, beat ourselves up and feel disappointed. We can allow it to ruin long stretches of time… when all we really should be doing is practicing how to keep it simple and live more in the moment.
In order to let you into into my world a bit… (Some of you know)… I am divorced – and though today I have a wonderful partner, Johnny, I am saddened by my failed marriage and I’m sure if things were handled differently much pain could have been avoided.
I have not only been sickened by it, but saddened, regretful, disappointed and still struggle with sentimental memories and ‘wished’ things didn’t turn out as they are.(maybe I just need to toughen up) – I have allowed myself to spend a LOT of time worrying and stressing and beating myself over the head. After all – nobody gets married to get divorced. 🙁
After this last week and losing Dan…I can honestly say… I’m done with it.
None of this stress and the elevated expectations helped one cotton picking iota… if anything I sucked the energy out of myself and it served no good purpose.
I have learned that best way to simplify your life is to assess what is important her and now. Reshuffle your priorities to line up with this assessment.
I know for one, I plan to learn to live a more simple life from now on… and perhaps some of these suggestions might benefit you as well:
Eliminate stress, it’s a useless emotion. Though it might be normal reaction to ‘something’ that troubles us… the end result is never better by allowing ourselves to waste the energy. If anything it can ruin your health and rob your life.
Never try to change anybody else. Be true to yourself and if others can’t see the logic… let it go.
Be grateful for what and who you have in your life. Your loved ones are the most important gifts. Money, debts, jobs, business, assets, toys… none of it really matters when it comes down to brass tacks.
Live and love more in the moment. Sometimes I fly around trying to get the house clean, get dinner ready, frothing at the mouth trying to stick to a stringent schedule that I created…as well as writing blog posts, doing marketing and trying to host a thousand and one play-dates!
Occasionally my son will want me to play a game… or my daughter will want to sit down and have a cuddle. Sometimes, I say “ok… in a bit… moms got to just finish….”
Most of the time… what ‘mom has to do’ are only things I tell myself I have to do… and I’m going to do my best to drop everything and take them up on their offer regardless of what it might be. After all – what is more important?
I’ve managed to dispose of many ‘things’ that do nothing more than clutter my environment. I plan to eliminate other things that clutter my mind as well.
I think it’s incredibly important to tell your friends and family you love them too. Life is not guaranteed from one moment to the next… and I mean this literally.
Everything can change in the blink of an eye. Seize the moments you have with your loved ones. Kiss your kids, hug your friends, pet the dog….You never know when it’s your last chance to do so.
Like yourself too… be comfortable in your own skin. (I plan on writing a post down the road about self acceptance).
It is important to realize your own value, good points and the fact that you too make a difference in the lives of others whether you know it or not. More than that, whatever you may have done in the past (or not done that you wished you had)… forget it!! The past is the past… you can’t change it by thinking about it. It’ll only wear you out. (take it from one who knows) 😐
Now I’m not saying get all loosy goosy and lackadaisical … and let everything fall by the wayside. Part of enjoying your life has to do with challenges we take on and achieving our goals. What I am saying is don’t let things that are not important rule you…. And don’t take so much on it becomes a burden. Always remember to have fun and enjoy.
Don’t spend your energy worrying and stressing… it does not change a thing and more often than not, you do eventually come out of ‘whatever’ weighs on you at the other end just fine and stress and worry are all for ‘naught.’
In this world of ours, it seems things have become more complicated. It’s not as easy to live the simple life anymore… but we need to control our own destiny… not let “things” rule you!
There is a lot to learn every single day and always will be. Just take on what you can digest. Remember to take a break to smell the roses. Reach out to others for support and be there for them too. Love lots, laugh… and laugh often. It’s ok to say “to heck with it” once in a while… and have an ice cream instead. 🙂
We are all mere little humans who all enter this world the same way; we’ll all exit the same way too one day. We need to make the best of it to enjoy life while we can, keep it simple…. and be the best we can be in the process.
What do you allow to complicate your world? Any suggestions on how to live a simple life that you’d like to share with the rest of us? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!
{ 7 comments }
Keep it Simple is right!
Too many people complicate things when they don’t need to – worrying about things they can’t change or that might never happen or getting in their own way with their own limiting beliefs.
In terms of lifestyle design, we could all do a lot worse than just keeping those 3 words in mind!
Very nice post Jayne!
take care & best wishes,
Alan
Thank you for taking the time to share with us some of the things going on in your life. You’re right on in reminding us to remember we only have on chance to get this right. Enjoy it now. We’re not promised tomorrow.
Very inspirational, thank you again for sharing.
Take care,
Monyelle
Hi Jayne,
Lots of power in this one! Most people in the western world, myself included, find themselves in a way of living which is stressful.
But the thing is, with a simpler reframe, a whole lot of stress can be eliminated just like that! Sadly, it often takes a profound event like the loss of someone close to remind us of the value of what we have.
I love that you’ve mentioned gratitude – Another powerful one to add in there is forgiveness – of ourselves, and others…
Letting go of our expectations and demands on ourselves and the people around us really helps, and as you’ve said – taking those moments to be with the kids, or your partner, rather than putting it off until it never happens…
Keeping it simple really does help, thanks for the reminder!
Jym
Jayne:
You don’t want to hit yourself over the head anymore,,,I can assist if you like! 🙂
Seriously, I love how open and giving you are of yourself through your writing. It seems you have a solid plan lined up and although rocks may get in our way…pick em up and skip em!
You have a wonderful sense of self and I envy that. We should all be so in tuned with our feelings, be it good or bad.
Ok, Im done now!
Lisa
Jayne,
I’m very sorry for your loss. I think that the hard times in life can really cause us to look at life and reconsider priorities. When we lose someone it really hits home that life is so fragile and that there really are no guarantees.
I know that times like these are tough, I lost my grandfather over the summer. Though he almost lived to 90 it was still extremely difficult. But as I went through it I found that I was able to find joy in little things that I typically wouldn’t even notice. It was as if the darkness that I was feeling was making brighter the good things in life.
Take care of yourself,
Stacy
Hi Jayne,
It’s so rough when we lose a loved one. Your mind is full of thoughts and it’s hard to think about anything else for awhile.
I went through this last July. So many questions, so many lessons, so many thoughts and feelings.
I can see your heart in this post and I admire your strength.
Thank you for sharing this.
Susanna
Hi Jayne,
what a powerful life lesson, thank you very much for sharing. Chances are writing about it helps you to process the past.
I always wonder that in front of death everybody has time, is able to drop everything, is even able to stop quarrels and arguments…
I recently was on a funeral of a former co-worker who died of a rare kind of cancer at the age of 44.
From the day she passed away to the day of the funeral everybody was in some type of slow-motion mode (not necessarily completely sad, even if that might sound weird) only to fall back into the same old routine one day after the funeral.
“Enemies” together at the tomb – only to be enemies again one day later.
Deaths and funerals could be opportunities for the bereaved to really learn something and change their lives to the better, what ever that means to the individual.
Deaths and funerals happen anyway, so why not learning from them ?
Chances are death is sign from the person who left this planet, especially if it’s a premature one.
I also crave simplicity and at the same time, I have tendencies to over-complicate many things.
I can’t really answer the question you bring up: What do you allow to complicate your world?
Perhaps the key is to ask “WHY” we allow it.
Thanks again for sharing your personal story.
Take care
Oliver
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