The Simple Life…doesn’t it sound intriguing? So
desirable, that “simple” life. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve shunned
my cat out of sheer jealousy that she was able to exhaust herself throughout
the day via napping. If only I could eat, sleep, poop, and be snuggled on a
daily basis with no other responsibilities. Chaos has taken precedence in our lovely little world today.
Full-time jobs, caring for five fur-balls, renovations, daily duties of
cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping (etc.), and of course, growing a precious human.
It all takes a toll at some point. Right? How many times a day, week, hour, do
we sit here and wish that we could somehow, in some way, relinquish any
financial responsibilities and just live a simple, minimalist life. Delve into
a life that’s nothing but travel, napping when we want, crafting all day long,
gardening, ignoring our phones that are consistently vibrating in our pockets, living
peacefully, quietly, and doing it all
without a care in the world. Sounds wonderful, eh? The question is, would we
really seek such peace and simplicity, crave
it, want it as badly as we do if
there wasn’t chaos in between these moments serving as the antecedent to such a
desire? Something tells me I don’t think so.
Trust
me when I say there are no words to express the joy and peace I experience while
practicing yoga, vacationing with my husband, napping, or engaging in some
deep, mindful meditation to bond with my bump. I find myself daydreaming about my
next brush with such a feeling while at work or in the midst of other chaotic,
overwhelming regularities throughout my day. But as I said, would I truly crave
it as much if it weren’t just a small, beautiful part of my day but rather a
large, do-it-anytime-I-want part of my day? Would living so simply just become
another routine? The truth of the matter is this: if I were able to live this
wonderful, free-bird style life, I wouldn’t appreciate it as much as I do now
when I actually DO have an hour or so to experience the euphoria of it. It wouldn’t
be such a sought-after rarity in my life anymore, it would just be routine. Without
the chaos, what would drive me to want the
peace, to want the travel, to need the simplicity? Surely, peace and simplicity
can’t become yet another aspect of our lives that we take for granted. With that
being said, we welcome chaos
in our lives. We welcome overwhelming work weeks, the feelings of not having
enough time, coming home to large piles of dog crap after just scrubbing the
floors, stressing about what bill comes next or how we’re going to be paying
off my student loans for a vast majority of our lives, the endless loads of
laundry, to-do lists, and whatever else seems to add to the chaos of every day.
Because without it, the peaceful and simple times just wouldn’t be so remarkable
anymore.
And
no, I’m not glorifying the busy life, because that drives me nuts too. We have
to make time for ourselves, regardless. But it’s all about finding balance.
Being flexible. Being bendy in our day to allow both the chaos and the peace to
be a part of it. Appreciate the chaos because it makes us feel alive.
Appreciate the peace and simplicity because that too, makes us feel alive. It’s
the yin and the yang. Don’t let one overwhelm the other. Welcome the chaos so
that you can indulge in what follows (if you allow it to)…peace and simplicity.
And welcome the peace and simplicity so that you’re better equipped to handle
the chaos. It’s a partnership. The not-so-simple, simple life. Now that’s the life we’re grateful for.
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