“Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.”
― Isaac Newton
― Isaac Newton
Find Your Way To Yourself In The MountainPERSONAL JOURNEY // 2.12.23
The best conversations with my kids happen on a mountain or in the car.
This past week, while driving my son home from basketball, he began sharing how he failed himself during practice. When he started tearing up, I asked what he needed from me: Do you want to vent, or do you want me to provide some encouragement? His response was, "I don’t know." Encouragement it was! I'm happy to report the conviction of encouragement was enough to battle his negativity spiral. So, why did I ask him and not just encourage him? Exposed! How Complex my personal life really isPERSONAL JOURNEY // 1.25.23
The Simplicity Survey is a tool I created to measure a baseline complexity level for five different areas: spiritual health, mental health, physical health, homebuilding (building healthy familial relationships), and home management.
The development of this tool started with my ideal vision for each of the five areas listed above. The survey questions evaluate how far I am from each vision. The results assume the farther away I am, the more complex that area of my life is. Conversely, the closer I am, the greater simplicity I'll experience. The survey score is a complexity score. The higher the number, the greater complexity. The lower the number the greater simplicity. Will this work? I don't know. It's a theory. Any good theory requires time, evaluation, and research. However, I do know these three things: A tree of purpose for the new yearLESSONS FROM NATURE // 1.3.23
In autumn last year, I experienced a moment of pure peace while walking my dog. At the time I was feeling heartsick for a simpler life. I wanted a stronger connection to God and nature. I wanted to love myself and others better.
I started praying to shift my thoughts from the chaos and complexity of this world. I wanted my racing and tangled mind to experience peace. A moment later, I looked up and saw a colorful fall tree and heard, “Just as this tree cycles through life, so do you.” That was it. For one split-second, I experienced pure peace. I have lived 43 years and not truly grasped, until now, the natural and purposeful power of cycles for humankind, for myself. At that moment, I was suddenly freed from all expectations and reminded that all creation, including humankind, is cyclical. My season of hardship is momentary and causes me to rest and reflect, something I need. I began to think deeply about trees after that. More specifically, color-changing, leaf-dropping, and deciduous trees. While strange, I believed greater simplicity in my life lay beneath my understanding of theirs. There are three primary lessons I’ve learned. Three characteristics I will try to emulate in my own life. |
If You Really Knew Me...Do you see that bald, bearded man behind me?
You may not be able to tell from this picture, but his sport coat is lavender. Lav-en-der! I love his lavender sport coat. He looks handsome as hell in it. "He's so tall and handsome as hell..." (😉 Tay Tay). Do you see how he is looking at me? He does this. Often. I frequently wonder what life would be like if I could see myself the way he sees me. This is one way my husband is like Christ to me. He helps me to see myself the way God sees me. However, if you really knew me, you would know that I couldn't stand my husband when I first met him. My strong, loving, and devoted husband was arrogant and had a LOUD and FOUL mouth (🤫 he still can). Whenever we spent time together - which was only around our mutual acquaintances - I could only see his flaws. Here is the radical twist... I started seeking him out because I wanted to see him the way God saw him. I knew he must have gifts. I was determined to uncover them. I couldn't have imagined this decision would turn into a lifetime (seventeen years so far) of also learning to see myself as God sees me. Want more insider intel? If you really knew me... Why Simplicity?We face endless choices in the grocery store, researching new business development tools, or surfing the sink hole of digital entertainment.
We are surrounded by opportunity and confronted with never-ending and rapid change. The world grows more complex around us and humanity naturally follows suit. Perhaps unknowingly, we grow to mimic our surroundings without questioning whether we should. Coincidentally, life often feels like a tangled mess. In the end, there are three criteria I care about: my connection to God, my relationship with myself, and my impact on this world. My Search for Simplicity is a journey to rediscover the heart of these three elements and embrace an untangled and impactful life. |
How complex is your life?
Take our Simplicity Survey to find out. |
What comes next?
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