Monday, August 2, 2010

August: The Complicated Simple Life

The simple life. So simple and wonderful and relaxing and magical and...

Complicated. The simple life isn't easy to achieve.

A few years ago, No Doubt released a song called Simple Kind of Life. It struck me as being true and something many women could relate to. The author of the lyrics reveals wanting to be a wife and to have children, but how her choices in men and her career have not made that possible. I found it intriguing that Gwen Stefani wrote this. Yes, even rock stars have the same longings for a normal, simple, life that we do.

But the other thing I find interesting is the flip side. So many of us who do have the "simple kind of life" also have such complicated lives. Aren't we all a bit like Gwen? Striving for an ideal that doesn't exist? To have a simple life, we have to learn complicated skills, we have to think beyond what the media tells us, and it's not always easy.

Is your life simple? Complicated? A bit of both?

Join me on Wednesday when we'll look at how schedules impact our life.

35 comments:

  1. Oooh! Deep post for a Monday morning!! Yes, I think we long for a simple life. And the grass always looks greener on the other side. Being a wife with children may look simpler to someone who's not done it, but honestly, it can be quite exhausting some (most!) days! I think we can all look at ways to simplify our lives (no matter if we're a mother or rock star). But often simplicity is found in our outlook more than anything, don't you think?

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  2. It seems on the surface my life is simple--just my husband and I and we do what we want etc but not so--too many worries, concerns and wonderings--things I think are always below the surface of all of us.

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  3. Good Morning!

    Jody: Oh, yes. The grass definitely looks greener sometimes! And even though my life is what I want, I still read articles on organization or books like The Happiness Project. Life is challenging--even when it's simple!

    Terri: I get what you're saying. Your life IS complicated. That's reality--all of our lives are but each in its own way.

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  4. Without the lows or the mundane, how would we know the exhilarating highs?

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  5. Oh, I LOVE this post.

    Simple: I do my best to follow the bidding of the Savior, a la the Holy Spirit. Every day.

    Bad Complicated: Sometimes my own agenda creeps in and whirls things into a cyclone.

    Good Complicated: God brings the most amazing, unexpected surprises!!!

    How's that for a yes-no answer!!!

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  6. Awesome post!

    In some ways, our lives are as complicated as we make them. For the most part, I think it's about our perceptions about ourselves, what's most important to us, our dreams, etc. Life can complicate things, and usually does, but how we respond to those challenges is what makes the difference.

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  7. I love what Patti has written! I think of a lyric by Switchfoot: Living is Simple. Complicated is when we try to change what is happening. I struggle with wanting things to be different, for sure. But that's my mind simply playing complicated tricks on me!

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  8. I think simple might be more of a state of mind. Like if you can do each task with mindfulness whether you are teaching or writing or doing chores. That is what I strive for. Your post has reminded me to breathe. Thanks!

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  9. CJ: Too true. :)

    Patti: My agenda creeps in quite often! Nicely put!

    Danyelle: Yes, we make our own beds, don't we? Our reaction to our life is what gives us peace or turmoil.

    Lynn: Very true. If we strip out the unnecessary, we get the peace and simplicity we long for.

    Paul: Boy, you are onto something! Mindfulness--worth striving for.

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  10. I think my life is pretty simple and straightforward. I think I'M the one who makes it complicated. Some days it's so easy and peaceful to see the beauty of that simplicity and others I convince myself something is wrong with it. I hope to balance it all out one day but in the meantime I'm just taking it one day at a time.

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  11. My home is simple but my extended family makes it complicated. :O)

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  12. I like to think my life is simple most of the time, but there are times its complicated. I'd rather have it that way than the other way around!

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  13. Perhaps what we long for and call simplicity is really serenity, which comes from inside and can be found even in a maelstrom of complications whirling around us.

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  14. Cindy: Good point. The one day at a time motto works!

    Diane: *shuddering* That's tough. Wish it didn't have to be that way.

    Melissa: Sporadic complications--love it!

    Erica: Yes, serenity. Maybe a peace with ourselves and where we're at?

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  15. Great topic for the month of August, as my life transitions from simple summer to crazy beginning of the school year. Yikes!

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  16. I'd add Slow to Simple. It's a busy life for most of us, but we miss so much if we don't slow it down.

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  17. So very complicated at the moment... I still have to decide what to do in life. Especially the relationship department...

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  18. Katie: Oh, yeah, the summer transition--yikes!

    Elle: Good point. Slowing down to savor each moment is good advice!

    Abby: Well, sometimes you don't figure it out for a while, but the process of trying different things helps. Try not to get too hung up on figuring it all out right now! And the relationship dept. sounds very intriguing!!

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  19. I always seem to want to make my life complicated, to do more than I can ever hope to without super powers. And then I find it almost painful to have to back off and pare things away.

    I've given you an award over at my blog. Don't worry about passing it on if your life is a bit too complicated right now. Just consider it a shout-out for your blog.

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  20. I remember how John Eldredge writes about this in Waking the Dead. We want a nice little life, but we can't get it -- because we're in the middle of a great epic story that God is writing and we have an enemy.

    But I think we can live so that our choices are less complicated than they might be. We don't have to accumulate a lot of stuff which must be maintained, for example.

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  21. It is a bit of both, and I am working on leaning more toward the simple side. I think this is only possible when I am where God wants me to be. Working on that:)
    Blessings,
    Karen

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  22. Thought provoking post, Jill! I am about to simplify. We are about to move to a house 1/2 the size. So I will be getting rid of 1/2 my stuff!!!! I'm excited about it and hope it really helps me in the amount of work I do around the house. :) MORE TIME FOR WRITING!!!!!

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  23. I purposely make the life for our family simple. I don't over commit and schedule. Keeps me relaxed, which in turn keeps the family relaxed!

    Great post, and a lovely blog.

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  24. Mary Anne: Thank you! And it's funny you mention super powers. Whenever the question comes up, "what super power would you want?" more and more, I think NONE! I'm busy enough! :)

    Cassandra: I never thought of it that way. Me--in an epic. I like that thought!

    Karen: I'm working on that too. :)

    Sherrinda: We downsized a few years ago and it's been both wonderful and challenging. The wonderful part was getting rid of a lot of stuff we didn't need. Good luck!

    Julie: Thank you. You have the right idea--don't overschedule. I struggle with it!

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  25. I'm definitely always reaching for a simple, uncomplicated life, but... At the same time, I also strive to be the best I can be and try to overaccomplish at times. It seems people frown at the word "balance" lately, but I'm big on finding balance with God's help. He is always there to keep the scales tipped or pick us up when we topple over.

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  26. I'm definitely always reaching for a simple, uncomplicated life, but... At the same time, I also strive to be the best I can be and try to overaccomplish at times. It seems people frown at the word "balance" lately, but I'm big on finding balance with God's help. He is always there to keep the scales tipped or pick us up when we topple over.

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  27. I think everyone wants un-complicated,but fun and interesting :) At least I do. I tend to want to do everything and experience everything...but in that I sometimes miss the simplest of pleasures...like an afternoon coffee with my hubby or just a walk with my kiddos on the back lawn. Those...can be a great adventure and a little less complicated than traveling the world, publishing a book, learning to play an instrument or trying to be everything to everyone...at least for now ;)
    nice post:)

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  28. It should be pretty simple, but it feels so complicated! Great, great post, Jill! :-)

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  29. Your title is SO beautiful if it were a book I'd buy it. Write that book Jill. You have a customer in me.

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  30. This IS deep. My life is simple because I have a routine... kids, life, school, family dinner. My life is complicated because I have SO much going on... writing, working, being a mom.

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  31. Heather: So much to do, so much I WANT to do. That's my complicated life. You're right about balance--God gets our life right.

    Amber J: Yes! I want that--uncomplicated but fun and exciting!

    Shannon: It should, shouldn't it? Yet, when is it? :)

    T.Anne: You should have just seen my eyes--flashing like little sirens--at your comment! Thank you. What a compliment.

    Erin: That sums me up too! Maybe we have a simple framework, but complicated layers?

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  32. Hi Jill! Ha... I just had to google "black moment" which tells you how much I know! Thanks for dropping by my blog!

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  33. Erin: Oh good! I don't feel so bad! Thanks for stopping back.

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  34. Jill:
    I PREFER a simple life. This summer has been anything but for us.
    Dealing with my fibromyalgia, I have learned to stay away from stress as much as I can. But then, I am married and we have a son. So, I get the complicated part of life.
    Years ago, my stepmother said something to me-a compliment. We were talking about the possible stress of a situation that I could have been dragged into. She said," But, you run away from that type of stuff."
    I prefer the simple life, no doubt about it.

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  35. Quiet Spirit: Good advice--run away from that type of stuff! I hope you and your husband are doing well.

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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