A simple[r] approach for a new year

There’s an old phrase I bet you’ve heard: “Keep it simple!” Off and on during the course of my life I’ve tried to follow that piece of advice, and usually failed. I have what appears to be a genetic tendency to complicate things. Today, while poking about some back corners of the internet, I came across an alternative approach that is going to serve as a New Year’s Resolution for me (who gave up resolutions years ago to try to keep it simple): “Make it simple!” 

The difference between keep and make acknowledges my control freak tendencies and also recognizes that “there’s more than one path through the woods.” Plus, it addresses the fact that rarely is anything simple to begin with.

simple celebration at Winter Solstice

Photo by J. Harrington

Over the years I’ve read a bit about the simplicity in zen and wabi-sabi but haven’t really tried to attain a simple life. As I now look about the world we’ve created, I literally can’t envision how to find satisfaction, let alone happiness, coping with the increasing levels of chaos involved. It’s time to Make it simple! This necessitates my deciding to forego longstanding tendencies to be a dilettante because of a perpetual attraction to something new and different. I think it will be worth it. I know it’s at least worth a try for three or six months or a year. (Yes, Yoda is whispering in my ear “Do or do not. There is no try.”) 

I’m not ever likely to become a Shaker, but I can do a much better job of learning to enjoy:

Simple Gifts

Traditional/Shaker

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
’tis the gift to come down where you ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed
To turn, turn will be our delight
‘Till by turning, turning we come round right.

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
’tis the gift to come down where you ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

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