sim·pli·fy  (smpl-f) tr.v.

To make simple or simpler, as:

a. To reduce in complexity or extent.

b. To reduce to fundamental parts.

c. To make easier to understand.

Ask me to simplify an algebraic expression and I can do it. Ask me to simplify the structure of a complex business proposal and I can do it. Ask me to simplify almost any given task and I can probably do it. But ask me to simplify my own personal life...and, quite frankly, I struggle. 

The great thinker Leonardo DaVinci  once said that "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." If that is true, then I am afraid that I am living a far-from-sophisticated life. Over the past year, I have gone through some monumental changes that have brought tremendous activities, events, and opportunities into my life. After seeing the change that getting involved with one thing made, I somehow became "addicted" to getting involved with anything and everything in hopes of adding even more positive change and creating more opportunity. However, I quickly realized that this concept, as with all others in life, needs to be moderated somewhere between excessive-ness and indolence if we are to reach our greatest potential.

I have talked before of my views concerning the law of moderation and I continue to learn of its importance: Too much food leads to obesity; too little food leads to starvation. But a well-balanced diet leads to a long and healthy life. [Ergo]--> Having too many "things" in life leads to stress and anxiety; having too few "things" in life leads to idleness and lack of potentiality. But a balanced and simplified life leads to one of longevity, happiness, and achievement. 

I have thus been going through a constant trial-and-error process of figuring out just how to simplify my life. Here are some helpful tactics that I have learned that might be of some aid to you as well:

1. "The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time"

A few months ago, my brother shared with me an article with this title. The author emphasizes the importance of not overloading ourselves with so many things that we get absolutely nothing done: "It's not just the number of hours we're working, but the fact that we spend too many continuous hours juggling too many things at the same time. What we've lost, above all, are stopping points, finish lines and boundaries." When we don't allow ourselves to focus our energy on one thing at a time, we decrease productivity, increase fatigue, and feel like we get nothing accomplished. Focus on one thing at a time.

2. Prioritize and Learn to let go

I recently helped a few friends discover something that a great mentor of mine taught me a while back that will forever change my life. He instructed me about the difference between striving for 'perfection' and striving for 'excellence.' When we strive for perfection, we try to give our 100% in everything that we do; a task that is physically, mentally, and intellectually impossible. On the other hand, when we prioritize our tasks and strive for excellence (doing our best) in each of them, we focus the majority of our efforts toward those of greater importance; then, we allow what's left in our reservoir of energy to be used for the less important tasks.

Sometimes, however, when we are prioritizing our lives, we come across things that we realize that we could most definitely do without. This is where we must learn to let go. For example, I love to watch and follow sports. But when I went through the different parts of my life in an attempt to prioritize it, I found that sports was something that was not quite as deserving of my time and energy than most everything else. I had to learn to let go....or at least just catch the highlights on ESPN. Simplifying requires prioritization and learning to let go of needless things.

3. Slow down and fall in love with your life

Schedule time to sit, ponder, and get to know you. What are your passions? What makes you smile? What do you pass by without even noticing when you're running from point A to point B? What are you grateful for? What do you take for granted? If you can't answer any of these questions, then I suggest that you put some serious effort into slowing down and learning to love your life.

To do this, I decided that I was going to start by no longer driving to work and school, but that I would instead take the bus. As weird as it may seem, I love public transportation: something that I quickly remembered after being on the bus for only one block. I like to see the different types of people. I like to wonder what their stories are. I like to ask them about their stories. I like to look out the window and observe my surroundings. By committing to taking the bus, I have to make sure to get everything done in a timely manner so that I do not miss it when it comes. My productivity rates have increased, my awareness levels are high, and I am learning to love things that I haven't loved in a while. I like taking the bus.

Charles Dudley Warner once spoke an infinite truth in my opinion when he said that "To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world. "I couldn't agree more. Something as simple as poking and staring into the flames of a fire allows us to reflect on our lives and realize just how simple, yet fulfilling they can be.



"The simpler we make our lives, the more abundant they become." -- Sarah Ban Breathnach.



I am not a huge fan of the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but the lyrics of the song "Simple Man" ring true. Take a listen:

Take time to do the things that make you happy. Sacrifice the unnecessary for the necessary. Forget yourself and you will find yourself. If you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or just plain unhappy: simplify, simplify, simplify.








Here's to a more simplified way of life.




Cheers.

Over a century ago, there was, in the world of science, a race would never be forgotten: the race for flight. 

Now, if you are familiar with this story at all, there are two names that I am sure you have had engrained somewhere in your memories at some point in your life: Wilbur and Orville Wright, the infamous “Wright Brothers” who stamped their names in the history books of human existence by making and documenting the first successful controlled manned flight through the Kill Devil hills of North Carolina in 1903.

Even if you are somewhat oriented with the history of the Wright brothers, I would dare to ask: how familiar are you with the actual race that took place which led these two men to be the first ones in the air? Perhaps you know a lot; or perhaps you know a little. Either way, allow me to provide a brief summary of the people, happenings, and principles that were involved with this competition of propulsion and lift to help us better understand an underlying principle of success.

Although (as we now know) the Wright brothers were the first to succeed in controlled flight, they were definitely not the expected winners of the race—in fact, they were considered very much to be the underdogs. The secretary of the Smithsonian at the time, Samuel Pierpont Langley, was the most prominent competitor. “At age 50, Langley had already achieved prominence through his work as an astronomer, but he wanted to make a discovery on par with Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison. So he turned to the problem of flight, spending the 1880s and 1890s [attempting to perfect] an unmanned flying machine he called an aerodrome” (The Race for Flight: NPR, pg. 1).

Langley had, compared to the Wright brothers, significant advantages for achieving his dream of flight; advantages including, but not limited to: experience, up-to-date equipment, and sufficient government funding. Sadly, even with advantageous “wings” for propelled flight, Langley’s aerodrome as well as his dreams fell “like a handful of mortar.”

Wilbur and Orville, on the other hand, were simple inventors, vendors, and forgers of bicycles, which they in turn sold from their humble bicycle store; interestingly enough, it was through their time and energies spent in the bicycle shop that they developed their ideas for flight.

Regardless of not having the best equipment, the sufficient funds, or even the popular support of bystanders, the Wright brothers flew their way into the history books by doing what they could with what they had. On December 17, 1903, they successfully made four flights, the longest lasting a nail-biting 59 seconds and traveling a gut-wrenching 852 feet. Today, thanks to their efforts, hundreds of flights are made, carrying thousands of passengers from one destination to another. It certainly was a race that would never be forgotten.

Vince Lombardi, one of the NFL’s greatest coaches of all time, once said that “The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.”

 

This is my message to you today: to measure up to who you really are by doing what you can now with what you already have. 

I fear that too often, we, by nature, tend to allow our envious and jealous devils to control our minds, our words, and our actions. These controlling devils, rather than lifting us up to freedom and success, drag us down to low self-esteem and fickle dreams. “If I only I had hair like hers…”, “Maybe if I had more money then I would be able to…”, “I’m not good at speaking in public like he is, so I’ll never win…”, etc. We are constantly focusing on the negative aspect of what we don’t have rather than exhausting ourselves in the great optimism, power, and hope that comes from realizing what we do have. 

The Wright brothers could have easily said, “Langley can afford it; he has the best tools; he has the reporters, the fame, and the wealth. So, why try?” Instead, however, they were inspired by what he had already accomplished and dedicated themselves to use whatever was at their fingertips to go above and beyond any expectations that anyone—including themselves—had set for them. 

Take time to get to know you. Recognize the strengths, talents, and gifts that you have; and then use them to get to where you want to get. If there is something that you’re not good at, work towards making it something else to add to the list of things that you are good at. The attitude with which we approach our obstacles often dictates the outcome that will follow. If you will but intimately learn who you are, see the potential that lies deep within you, and then do what you can with what you have to explore that potential, you will supersede any and all limits that you currently think you have put in place to keep you from succeeding.

In conclusion, I leave you with the words of Shakespeare who so remarkably portrayed this lesson in the prologue of “Henry V”:

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,
Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire
Crouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all,
The flat unraised spirits that have dared
On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth
So great an object: can this cockpit hold
The vasty fields of France? or may we cram
Within this wooden O the very casques
That did affright the air at Agincourt?
O, pardon! since a crooked figure may
Attest in little place a million;
And let us, ciphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work.
Suppose within the girdle of these walls
Are now confined two mighty monarchies,
Whose high upreared and abutting fronts
The perilous narrow ocean parts asunder:
Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts;
Into a thousand parts divide on man,
And make imaginary puissance;
Think when we talk of horses, that you see them
Printing their proud hoofs i' the receiving earth;
For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings,
Carry them here and there; jumping o'er times,
Turning the accomplishment of many years
Into an hour-glass: for the which supply,
Admit me Chorus to this history;
Who prologue-like your humble patience pray,
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.

"The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have."

How do you measure up?

Here’s to doing the best that we can,

Cheers.

For those of you that do not recognize what this is: it is a diagram of a typical balanced-diet (aka: the food pyramid). Scientists, dieticians, and nutritionists have jointly come to the conclusion that in order for one to stay as healthy as possible, it is necessary to follow these serving guidelines as well as involve themselves in daily exercise activities.

Perhaps it is safe to say that not many people, especially Americans, follow these suggested food servings. In fact, for a large majority, I would not be surprised to find that more sweets, meats, fats and oils are consumed than any other food group when we can clearly see that it should be quite the opposite. It is no secret that improper practices and poor food-choices quickly lead us down a road that none of us want to go.


In layman's terms:


An "inverted-pyramid" diet with no exercise at all eventually leads to this:

A "starve-myself-healthy" diet, with or without exercise quickly leads to this:

And finally, a well-balanced diet coupled with daily exercise eventually leads to this:

I hope that you get my point.


However, this is not a blog post regarding our physical well-being. I am certainly not trying to bring back memories of your junior-high P.E. teacher: permanently sweat-stained ring-collar t-shirt tucked into incredibly short shorts, ridiculously hairy legs/arms, long white socks, old school sneakers, mustache, whistle, etc. In fact, I do not wish to talk about workouts, calories, or even pedometers. Nevertheless, I have taken the time to share with you the images and ideas [above] in order to provide a visual representation of my intended thoughts [below].



Lately, I have been concerned with the intellectual well-being of myself, as well as of those around me. I fear that with each day that passes, we, as a whole, are becoming less and less "mentally-healthy." And just as we have a balanced-diet for our daily food intake, I believe that we also have a balanced-diet for our daily mental-food intake.

Below is a visual representation of how I believe our current mental-food pyramid appears to us:

(the truth can be humorous sometimes)

 A short while ago, I followed the suggestion of an esteemed psychologist, Dr. Meyers, and completed a personal "Time Management Self-evaluation." Throughout the course of my day, I was to keep track of and record the amount of time I spent doing every activity that I involved myself in. [sleeping, eating, showering, studying, working, exercising, facebooking, blogging, etc.]

It was interesting (and somewhat sad) to see my results. Although I had felt like I had fully engaged myself in a "balanced diet" of intellectually-productive activities (such as studying, writing, reading, working, conversing, etc.) during most of my day, I found that I was performing more meaningless "fat-food" type ones than anything else. I had spent way more time than I thought I had: on Facebook, watching Youtube videos, texting nonsensical messages to Johnny and Scy, playing a knock-off version of Bejeweled on my phone, etc.

 Even more interesting to me, perhaps, is that I would proudly claim myself as one who does not spend a lot of time on social media sites, gaming, etc. With that being said: if I found that I, being someone who is not constantly engaged in meaningless activities, had spent more time than I felt that I should have "pigging out", what does that say about people all over the world that are constantly stuck to a computer, smartphone, iPad, or television screen?

Now, I am not trying to say that I think all of these "things" are bad; in fact, the reason why I involve my own self in them is because I find them to be useful, enjoyable, educational, etc. However, the law of moderation must play an important role if we are to use them for good [in case you can't tell from this and other posts, the law of moderation is, in my opinion, one of the most essential and important lessons to be learned and practiced in this life].

Referring back to the physical well-being of humans, if we consume too much food (whether it be sweets or veggies) we do ourselves no good. If we starve ourselves of food, we do ourselves no good. But, if we balance what we eat AND exercise daily, we become capable of performing so many activities that we never could had we not disciplined ourselves. And so it is with our intellectual well-being...

If we consume too much mental-food (whether it be through actual books or through facebooks) we do ourselves no good; we become burnt-out, self-centered, and socially awkward. If we starve ourselves of mental-nutrients, we certainly do ourselves no good. But, if we balance what we read, play, watch, hear, observe AND mentally-exercise daily, we become capable of....I think you get my point.

As a pre-concluding note, I would like to expound on one thing; and that is the "mental exercise" (AKA: human interaction) that we need to involve ourselves in. Allow me to share an experience that I had:

Earlier this year, my roommates and I hosted a group of 18 year-old high school students that were interested in possibly attending the university later this fall. While I was conversing with a group of young men, I asked them, "So, what do you guys like to do for fun?" Needless to say, I was hoping/expecting them to say similar things that I enjoyed doing at that age (sports, hiking, being with friends [especially girls], traveling, etc.) so that I could relate to them better. However, they all quickly responded simultaneously, "Oh, we're gamers! All we do is play X-box and PS3." I certainly didn't judge them for that (especially since gaming has come a long way since my own high school years), but later that night I noticed something interesting that caused me to double-take.

A group of their peers (all girls) came with another hosting group to our apartment in order to socialize, watch movies, eat food, etc. I quietly observed as not one of the young men I that I had talked to earlier even attempted to speak or interact with anyone else. As bad is it may sound, I was appalled.

The point that I am trying to make with this is that: these young men, in my opinion, were consuming too much of one type of mental-food (Problem #1: lack of balancing their mental diet) and definitely were not exercising-mentally (Problem #2) their abilities to interact with human beings face-to-face.

I fear that our society today is losing 1) its love and passion for reading about, learning, and applying classic ideas such as: true freedom, moral living, thought-provoking questions, honesty, clean-natured entertainment, appropriate humor, etc. and 2) its ability to properly engage in face-to-face human interactions.

Think about it: more parents, while traveling with their children, do not put in the effort and time to talk with them or teach them new things; they simply put a DVD in to shut them up. More and more relationships originate from online services. Guys are asking girls out via text, Facebook, messenger, etc. rather than through conversation. More downloadable games are bought for mobile devices than books bought from a bookstore. More and more young adults consider a "good job opportunity" one that allows them to say "I love it because all I have to do is..." rather than taking pride in working hard, blistered hands, and having to push themselves beyond their current capabilities to complete the task at hand.

To reiterate my original idea, I worry for our intellectual well-being. I feel that we need to close our Facebook more in order to open real books. We need to stop texting and actually talk. We need work hard, rather than hardly work. We need to read classic literature and not pornographic magazines. We need to learn to garden instead of relying on Walmart to do that for us. We need to learn about our history so that we do not repeat it. We need to serve our neighbor, rather than serving ourselves. We need to learn to manage money and avoid the bondage of debt. We need to learn to live without 'things' now in order to have them in the future. We need to do all of these things if we do not wish to destroy ourselves.

Perhaps another perspective is this:

Just because I do not have desires to be a professional mechanic does not mean that I should not learn how to fix my car. Just because I do not like to read does not mean that I should never open a book. Just because I am tired and hungry does not mean that I should not stop to help that person fix their flat tire. Just because I am Caucasian does not mean that I should not learn about and celebrate Black-history. Just because I am Mormon does not mean that I should not understand others' beliefs, practices, and traditions....again, I hope that you get my point.




Do not become intellectually obese, starved, or overworked. Become, instead, intellectually balanced and I promise that your life will be full of happiness, joy, contentment, knowledge, companionship, trust, hope, gratitude, and positivity.

 In short...we need to LEARN...and we must never, ever, ever, ever stop.



Here's to a well-balanced physical and intellectual diet.






Cheers.

A short while ago, I made a list of several goals (twelve, to be exact) that I was going to strive to achieve in my day-to-day life. Some were simple and not very time-consuming; while others were more difficult and required greater dedication and sacrifice. One of these goals was to attempt to write at least one blog post each week (which, unfortunately, has proved itself to be one of the more difficult ones to achieve).

Earlier tonight, a fellow-blogger and good friend of mine mentioned during one of our conversations how she could not wait until she could find more time within her busy schedule to write in her blog more: I couldn't have agreed more with what she said. Her words caused me to re-evaluate my commitment to my own personal goal of writing each week: needless to say, this is the situation I currently find myself in...

For those of you who have read and/or followed my blog before, you'll quickly realize my passion for wrting positive thoughts of encouragement in hopes that some person out there will read what I write and say, "Wow, that's exactly what I need to hear at this time in my life"...and then they will hopefully apply what they read to better their lives, and then, ultimately, "pay it forward" to someone else in need of similar help: a simple chain-reaction to improve the world.

Note: it is important to understand that I get most, if not all, of my post-ideas from real life experiences that I have during the day-to-day events of my life. In other words, I try to constantly find ways to improve my own life, serve other people, or learn new talents, principles, and ideas that will help me to become the person that I not only want to be, but that I know I should be.

Outlining my life as such has proven to be, usually, very rewarding; however, at times (such as this particular time in my life), it has proven as a wake-up call that I am not doing all that I can to become that greater person. It's simple algebra really...

Striving and searching for ways to improve my own life or to help another person --> uplifting/life-changing experience --> blog post idea --> blog --> my microscopic way of improving the lives of people around me --> positive thoughts/feelings --> desire to continue striving and searching for ways to improve my own life or to help another person --> uplifting/life-changing experience --> blog post idea...it's a vicious cycle, really.

The antagonistic point that I am trying to get at is that: lately, I have realized that I have had trouble finding ideas for my weekly blog posts. In reference to the cycle suggested above, this can only mean that I am not committed enough to improving my own life or the lives of those around me.  I understand that my life has been incredibly busy and stressful, but that certainly is no excuse. With that being said, I'd like to openly apologize and publicly re-commit myself to diligently striving towards getting back into the vicious cycle of my blogging experience.



 I do suppose, however, that there can be a lesson learned in what I have just written: sometimes in life, we need to re-evaluate our goals and re-commit ourselves to accomplish that which we have set forth in our lives. Perhaps it can be said that: when we slip, we do not fail; failure only comes from never getting back up. I think it is accurate to say, then, that there is often more power in committing to recommit than there is to initially committing to anything at all.

If there is anything in your life right now that you feel like you have allowed to slip or that you have not put as much effort in as you know you should have, I would implore you to apply and live by the words of a popular 90s song by ChumbaWumba: "I get knocked down, but I get up again; and you're never gonna keep me down!" Commit to re-commit. Do it. Now.


Here's to 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc....attempts at achieving greatness.


Cheers.

[Note: a good friend of mine, Nicole, asked if I would help her out with a small blog project that she is doing for one of her blogs. She asked if I would write a general letter directed towards women in which I could write anything I wanted. So, I decided to simply use what I wrote for her blog for my weekly blog post. Also, Nicole is an amazing writer: please support her and follow her blog. I will post the link to it at the bottom of this post. Enjoy.]




 

Dear Women,

First and Foremost, Thank you:

For willingly giving birth to everyone that has ever existed on this earth; for giving me cooties when I was in the second grade. For teaching, nourishing, and caring for your children; for having the desire to have children of your own some day.

Thank you for having legible handwriting. For buying me that tie for Father’s day. For waking up before everyone else in order to cook breakfast and pack me a lunch.

Thank you for giving me a ride to school; for teaching me how to dance. Thank you for kissing me on the side of my mouth to leave me wanting more. Thank you for the “I love you, have a great day!” note that you left on the seat of my truck. For taking care of me when I am sick.

Thank you for making me nervous before our first kiss. Thank you for holding my hand every chance that you get. For tickling the back of my neck until I fall asleep. For laughing at my dumb jokes even if they’re not that funny. Thank you for singing to me. Thank you for reminding me of people’s names when we see them just in case I’ve forgotten. Thank you for holding on to me like I am the only thing that matters.

But mostly, for loving me.

Who You Are and Why You Are Important:

You are a daughter of a loving God that has sent you here to Earth with a very special and individual purpose in mind. You are brilliant, creative, and full of life. When you walk into the room, the world stops to observe; not because of simply your curves, your perfume, or your looks, but because you have an aura about you that silences the souls of men [Even if the men are so shallow that they think it’s those other things doing that to them, it’s really not, they just haven’t figured that out yet. I promise.]

You are a mother, a daughter, a co-worker, a wife, and a grandmother. You are who gives birth, not just to a child, but to a generation.

You are a professional at connecting with people and understanding their emotions. You are a shoulder to cry on. Yet, you are also a cryer looking for a shoulder. You give more than you receive, but you don’t complain. You are absolutely amazing and the world would end if it weren’t for you.

What To Do:

Remind yourself everyday that you’re beautiful. Love everyone. Smile. Repeat.

What Not To Do:

Don’t think that you aren’t beautiful…ever.

Don’t suppose that I know that you’re upset just because you said, “I’m fine” instead of “I’m good.” Don’t rub it in my face when you’re right and I’m wrong; my pride is hurt enough as it is. But, don’t be afraid to prove me wrong. Don’t think that I’ll only love you if your hair is done and your make-up is perfectly painted on your face, it is the furthest thing from the truth.

Don’t text and drive.

Don’t think that you understand men; your brain isn’t that simple.

Don’t not give a guy a chance; you never know until you let it happen.

Don’t read into things too much. Don’t think that I’m upset because I said “I’m fine” instead of “I’m good.” Don’t act dumb just to make me feel smart. Don’t think I’m cheating on you just because I’m not right next to you. Don’t hide your talents from me. Don’t be afraid to break social norms. Don’t think that just because I’m nice to you that I’m fully interested in dating you.

Don’t forget to have faith. Don’t gossip. Don’t rely on me, your parents, or anyone else to make decisions for you. Don’t think that you can’t do it…whatever it is. Don’t let the world tell you what you should do and who you should be. Don’t forget to pray…a lot. Don’t turn down opportunities to learn something new. Don’t stop being you just because you’re with me.

What You Should Know About Men:

We are not all the same: just because you had one bad experience with one of us doesn’t mean that the same thing will happen with all of us.

We like to feel appreciated and needed more than anything else (example: we know that you are fully capable of opening the door by yourself, but we like to feel that no door in the world would ever open for you unless we opened it first). Speaking of which, chivalry isn't dead, but you women are slowly stabbing it to death by either not accepting it or not expecting it from us.

We are not very good “sign” readers. So, if you’re upset or something is bothering you, don’t get too mad at us for not realizing that that you are pissed off at something (most likely something we did or didn’t do).

The last thing I’ll say about this topic is: if you want to have a special night out to dinner with us, during which you’d like us to pay full attention to what you’re saying, never take us to a sports bar/grill or anywhere else that may have a television(s) broadcasting current games or last night’s highlights.

What We Want to Know About Women:

Why do you almost always go for the jerks rather than the guys that will treat you as you deserve to be treated? We understand that you’re naturally attracted to being secure and safe, but sometimes financial and/or physical security isn't as important as your emotional, mental, spiritual, intellectual, security. Think about it, that’s all we ask.

Another topic: periods. We don’t need to know everything that goes on there, but it’d be nice if you simply let us know when you’re going through your “cycles.” It’s something that we have not had to deal with every few weeks our entire lives, so we don’t automatically assume that it’s even an issue.

Finally, why do you tend to think that you’re not good enough when really nothing better exists? Self-confidence and maturity can be some of the most attractive things about a woman, so make it happen.

Know, I may not know you, but I love you.

You may be asking yourself, “but how is that possible? There are so many different women out there; how can you love me without knowing who I am?” Explanation: I understand that each of you as an individual is different in some way or another, but as a whole, you are all, by your natural similarities, very much the same. Examples of such similarities: you are caring, you have the capability of being something great, you smell really, really good, you are easy to talk to, you are in tune with your emotions, etc. It is by these similarities that I am able to say to you, whoever and wherever you are, that I love you…and mean it.

May you ever find happiness in all of your adventures.

Here's to you, the daughters of Eve.



Cheers.

Nicole's link:

http://fromthemindofnicoleshepard.blogspot.com

The famous artist/writer, William Morris, once said that: "The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life." Lately, I was re-introduced to this concept thanks to a very interesting encounter that I had with Brett from Minnesota. Allow me to explain:

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to one of my favorite cities in order to witness the marriage of a life-long friend to his eternal sweetheart. Needless to say, the simplistic beauty of their festivities left me, as well as many others, without words to describe its significance, especially, I am sure, in their own lives, let alone in mine. From blood-red rose petals scattered to and fro to locally-famous and utterly delicious sugar cookies that even Zeus himself would give up his throne for, my dear friend and his wife embellished our minds with a portrait of what potential lies within the first steps of true love. 

[Congratulations again to both of you and may you find happiness in each other's company] 

After saying my ciao(s) and adios(es) to my long-time friends, I subtly began my trek back to where I currently live in order to face the reality of school/work/goals/deadlines/projects/etc. once again. After stopping by a trusted gas station for a quick petro fill, I entered the on-ramp of the freeway to suddenly find my vision catching something in the distance: it was yellow with a hint of red, skinny, somewhat tall, and quite noticeably hairy. As I sped past the object, I noticed that it was a gnarly-bearded man in a yellow sweatshirt carrying nothing but a small red duffle-bag and a worn-out sleeping bag. Now, let me ask you: have you ever had those moments when you know that you should do something, but you can't seem to convince your conscience that it is worth your time or that it is the right thing to do? To take that even farther: have you ever had that happen and then contemplate it for so long that by the time you make a decision to do whatever it is that you felt like you needed to do, the moment is too far gone? Well, that's exactly what happened to me...or so I thought.

It only took me a good 3/4 of a mile after passing the hairy figure on the side of the road to convince myself to at least pull over to continue feeling out the situation, rather than driving farther and farther away from it. Needless to say, my shoulder angel barely beat out the shoulder devil in whatever skirmish it was they they were going through. Before I knew it, my truck was in reverse, traveling against traffic on the side of the road, in hopes of eventually finding that my intuitions were right. 

As I neared where the man was walking, he suddenly began to sprint towards me as he naturally knew what my vehicle's awkward behavior meant: a ride. I opened the door, helped place his things in the back of my truck, and then shook the cold and homeless hand of Brett from Minnesota. 

"Where are you headed?" I asked. 

"I'm eventually trying to get back to Minnesota. But for right now, I'm just trying to make it as far North as I can get," he replied.

"That's the direction I'm heading, so I'll take you as far as I can."


The next three and a half hours were nothing close to lonely or quiet. Without hesitation, we began drilling each other with questions. We shared stories. We related experiences. I think that the only time that there wasn't  an attempted conversation was when "Simple Man" by Lynard Skynard came on the radio and Brett said that he used to love listening to that song: so, of course, we respected the moment with silent mouths, but very active ears. 


[now to the point that I'd like to make regarding details]


Whenever conversation between Brett from Minnesota and I did seem to dwindle a little bit, he would ask me very peculiar questions. I noticed that he was constantly looking at my truck's interior, its content, and, come to find out, its usefulness. For example, I had on the opposite side of me a bottle of water. He must have caught a small glimpse of plastic cap or something and said, "I see you have some water there. Would you mind if I borrowed a little bit from you?" He slowly unzipped his small, red duffle-bag and pulled out a blue water container. As I filled his container up to the brim, he told me the story of how he found it: under a park bench outside the airport in Houston, TX (yet another simple observation of life's details). A little while later, he asked, "What kind of shoes are those that you have on? They look like they would last quite a while." I told him how I have had them for almost a year and a half and that they have shown very little, if any signs of wearing. He then presented me with yet another simple observation as he noticed the fence alongside the freeway that surrounded cattle grazing lazily in the valley. "That fence looks like it could use some work. Ya know, I put up fence for a rancher in Texas for a while. I bet I could fix up that fence and get paid a decent amount of cash for what I'd do."


I hope that you see the point that I am making. It's amazing how easily we take things for granted when they aren't a matter of day-to-day survival. Brett from Minnesota has been homeless for almost 7 years now simply due to a series of unfortunate events. However, over the past 7 years, I think that he has learned to find "life" in the details.

(I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to meet him and I hope him the best wherever he is) 

Whether or not we're homeless, poor, rich, fat, tall, blonde, left-handed, etc. we must never forget to notice and be grateful for the simple details of life: having all of the buttons on a button-up shirt, a kool-aid-covered-mouth-stained smile of a child, or even an untied shoe-lace. If we can but take genuine interest in the details of life, we will, as William Morris stated, find the true secret of happiness. In my experience, I have seen that there are two types of people that engulf themselves in the details of life: 1) homeless people [or simply people that do not regularly enjoy the "pastries" of life's bakery] and 2) photographers. I would challenge each of us to spend time with one of these two types of people and just observe the things that they see and how excited they are for life's simplicities.


Here's to the details of life.




Cheers.

Some say that there is nothing more powerful and emotionally-stirring than the sound of things like: waves crashing against aged rocks, both lyrical and non-lyrical music, someone reciting a poem, a heart beat, a hurried ambulance's siren, or even a knock at the door. Think about all of the sounds that you hear each day (if you are able to hear, that is). Try to count them. Are you able to? I doubt that your answer to that question is "yes." We are constantly surrounded by audible tones, pitches, and vibrations that enter into our bodies through our ears, which are then quickly sent as informational data-packages to some cerebrial lobe in our brains. Almost everything around us produces a sound.

I feel that there is, however, one difference amongst our "daily sounds": most sounds are natural and caused by external forces (such as a bee's monotonous buzz or rain dancing on rooftops; things that neither you, nor I, have any control over), while others are caused by our own selves (annoyingly clicking a pen, pounding on a typewriter, or turning on the radio each time that we enter a vehicle). I can confidently state, then, that for some sounds we are the instigators, and for others, the innocent audience or by-standers.

For those of you who did not know already, this last week has been the time alloted to Spring Break for many university-attending students across the nation. Typically, Spring Break consists of many sounds: music on roadtrips, noises on the beach, laughing at parties, boats skimming across a lake, water splashing, etc. However, for me, it has been quite the opposite. Due to work and school-related obligations, that I had little or no control of, I, each day, went to work, to school, to the gym, and then eventually found myself at home. At work, I was engulfed in nothing but the silent hum of the ventilation system, with the occasional rattle of keyboard keys and out-of-rhythm mouse-clicks from off in the distance. At school, there were few, if any, other people on campus; which, of course, meant no gossip-filled talks, no footsteps up stairways, and no zipping-up of backpacks. At the gym is where I finally encountered some sort of sound, but nothing out of the ordinary: treadmill tracks, overhead music, and cliche conversations about a new type of protein powder that is supposedly proven to increase muscle-mass. After the gym, I came home to an almost empty apartment building: a place so quiet that each crunch of my usual Frosted Flakes cereal seemed to echo throughout the hallways, into each bedroom, and back. Let's just say, my Spring Break has been quiet.

"A story is told as much by silence as by speech." - Susan Griffin.

I am almost certain that you, whoever you are and wherever you are, have heard of or perhaps even experienced the concept of an "awkward silence." But my question today is: Why is silence considered awkward at all? Why is it that, if we do not have some sort of sound going on around us, we automatically feel the need to create it?

Fact: "the average group of people can tolerate no more than fifteen seconds of silence; if we are not making noise, we believe, nothing good is happening and something must be dying."

Can you believe that? Fifteen seconds! Think about where you are right now. Do you have music playing? Is the TV on in the other room? Is your phone beeping or buzzing? Are you tapping your foot, fingers, or hands? Is someone else in your house, apartment, or classroom making some sort of noise?

The point that I would like to make is that silence, although perceived as something awkward, weak, or dead, can be, and is something powerful, deep, and very much alive. It allows for our brains to not be distracted with miniscule and less-important things, but can allow for our lives to speak to us. It allows for some of life's greatest lessons to be pondered, disected, and learned. This last week for me has been quiet in terms of audible sounds; but, it has been incredibly noisy and chaotic in terms of listening to my life speak. To not seem bias towards complete and infinite silence, however, please know that I believe in the law of moderation: just this afternoon, I had an intelligent conversation with someone about Aristotle's idea of virtue being found somewhere between 'excess' and 'deficiency'. I want to make it clear that I am not saying that we should only sit in silence; sounds are powerful and almost necessary in our lives. What I am saying is that we must find a balance in all things, including that of polishing our ears toward silence.

"Be still and know that I am God."

Again, I do not know whether or not you believe in the same God that I do (if any God at all), but I agree entirely with the statement above. A synonym for the word silence is: to be still. I often hear of people searching for meaning in their lives, and especially in wondering if God exists and if He cares about us at all. In order to know that He is, we must be still: we must be silent.

One of my greatest passions and past-times is that of hiking in remote places. Miles away from civilization, with no other sounds than birds chirping, a fire cracking, or a stream constantly flowing: what a recipe to know that God exists! What a recipe to learn about ourselves, our passions, and our aspirations! However, I do want to make it clear that it is most definitely possible to have that experience and taste of that good recipe in any location. I have had the opportunity to live in very noisy and very eventful cities filled with cars honking, people screaming, and jack-hammers tickling the Earth. Even in such places, we can be silent and we can be still. At the beginning of this particular blog post, I mentioned that some sounds are out of our control, while at the same time, we are the pilots of most others.

With that in mind, this is my challenge to you: set aside time during each day to practice silence and learn to listen to "the flowing river of your life beneath the icy surface." Set aside time to do away with the sounds that are in your control. You can start with something simple: five minutes of sitting, pondering, and listening. Try going an entire day without your cell phone or ipod. Rather than turning on the television to watch a "life-changing" episode of the Bachelor, open a book and ignite your imagination. Be still and let your life speak to you. Let God speak to you. Let the silence speak to you.

Let silence become one of your heroes, your teachers, and your best friends.


Here's to truly listening to the silence of our lives.


Cheers.