Why do we complicate everything? We tend to complicate all things, especially those that are important, relationships, creating wealth, or getting healthy, pretty much anything. These 15 quotes will inspire you to a more simple lifestyle.
My grandmother could simplify anything. First, if you went outside and it was cold, go put on a jacket; next, if you went outside and got wet, you might need a raincoat; finally, if you want a relationship to last, don’t go to bed angry. She didn’t need a weather channel to explain the exact temperature, the heat index, or the chill factor, she just knew if it was hot or cold outside.
“Stay low, stay quiet, keep it simple, don’t expect too much, enjoy what you have.”
― Dean Koontz
“When simple is more than enough, you will feel happy more than enough!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
Simple and great times
When I got my first car, the combustible engine was a fairly simple device. You can perform maintenance on your vehicle fairly easily and even repair or replace certain parts.
Nowadays you need a computer to fix a vehicle. I can remember those hot, humid summer nights in my grandfather’s garage working on his old car. The crickets would serenade us as we tried to wipe the sweat out of our eyes with greasy hands. I’m sad that my children didn’t get to experience those simple moments.
“Life is as simple as these three questions: What do I want? Why do I want it? And, how will I achieve it?”
― Shannon L. Alder
“A simple life gives birth to more clarity, inner peace and meaningful relationships.”
― Margo Vader
You have to keep it simple in the jungle
Everything nowadays seems so complicated that we need to break it down into its simplest form in order to understand it.
“My choice of a lighter lifestyle has brought me a greater sense of well-being. In a world that often seems stressful and chaotic, that’s a feeling I cherish.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.
When I was in the jungle, I carried the explosives we used to destroy the cocaine labs. Trying to understand the scientific facts of how explosives work can be complicated. You could waste a lot of time looking at formulas and trying to figure out the best locations to place the dynamite and C4 to obtain the most destructive power.
“Don’t make your life complicated. Adapt to every circumstance.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita, Think Great: Be Great!
“Well, all I need is the air I breathe and a place to rest my head.”
― OneRepublic, OneRepublic: Dreaming Out Loud
Boom!!
We didn’t have a lot of time to do that, so I learned in my training that the simple fact is that the energy caused by the explosion will always travel along the path of least resistance. Simply put, if you wanted the explosion to travel in a certain direction, we just had to pile rocks and other heavy objects against the charge on the side opposite of the direction you wanted the explosion to travel.
You don’t have to complicate things in order to obtain great results.
“As he thought of it, though, he could not imagine what “just living” might actually be. He had never done it in his life. But he wanted to do it anyway.”
― Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game
Avoid “Paralysis by Analysis” by keeping it simple
“The simplest things are overlooked. And yet, it is the simplest things that are the most essential.”
― Thomas Lloyd Qualls, Painted Oxen
The character Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, when faced with a problem calls up his computer and several holographic computer screens appear in front of him. These screens are loaded down with a plethora of scientific data and it might take someone days to try to figure it out.
Tony Stark looks at all the data in front of him and immediately starts capturing a screen and swiping his hand to the side to eliminate it. He continues to do this until he is left with just one screen on which he finds a solution.
“I just want to live simply and pay attention to what’s happening each day.”
― Kent Haruf, Our Souls at Night
Break it down
He just simply broke everything down to its simplest form. That’s what we need to do to accomplish our goals, break down our plan to its simplest form. When we first start something, it can look so complicated that we don’t know where to start.
We then never commence to doing anything and our goal is left unfulfilled. This is called “Paralysis by Analysis.” We just get too much information, we over-analyze this information, and we never get started.
We never even take the first step. If you’re trying to do something and are frozen by fear or are having paralysis by analysis, break it down to its simplest form and just do it.
From complicated and frustrating to simple
“A simple life is not seeing how little we can get by with—that’s poverty—but how efficiently we can put first things first. . . . When you’re clear about your purpose and your priorities, you can painlessly discard whatever does not support these, whether it’s clutter in your cabinets or commitments on your calendar.”
― Victoria Moran, Lit From Within: Tending Your Soul For Lifelong Beauty
Here are some examples of how I break down different projects to their simplest form.
When I started my online businesses, I read books on different business opportunities and how to start them.
Then, I searched through YouTube for instructional videos and spoke with people who have started online businesses.
Do you get confused?
Quickly, I found out that there is an enormous amount of information on starting online businesses. Not everyone who creates an instructional video or writes a book agrees on how to be successful. I would watch one video and be told one thing, only to watch another video which contradicted everything I learned in the first video. Who could I trust? Did they really believe the information they were putting out, or were they snake oil salesman just trying to get my money.
This became overly complicated and filled me with anxiety so I began to break it down to its simplest form. If I wanted to succeed I had to ask myself the question, what do I need to do first?
I began and then moved on to what I needed to learn second and so on. I didn’t try to tackle everything in one day, I just did a little every day.
Another thing that I did to simplify everything was to pick just one mentor and learn from them.
My simplified exercise plan
“Escape from complicated life! Take refuge in simple life! You will find three treasures there: Healthy body, peaceful mind, and a life away from ambitious fools!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
If you want to get healthy and have never exercised before, it can be very daunting to go to a gym and see all the different machines or take instruction from a personal trainer.
What I always tell people who want to start an exercise program is to do the simplest thing, start by walking. Walking is the simplest form of exercise, we do it every day, and it can be done anywhere.
The next step is to begin increasing your muscle tone by doing bodyweight exercises. You don’t need a gym to do these and they are a good way to build muscle prior to beginning weight training.
Push-ups are great exercises for building your upper body and hit a lot of different muscles. If you can’t do push-ups, try to do a push-up with your knees on the floor.
If you don’t have a lot of upper body strength yet, begin with incline push-ups or even stand up and do push-ups against the wall.
How we simplified weight loss in the “Good Ole Days”
In the past, whenever I needed to lose weight, I would see so many different weight loss books and diets that I would be overwhelmed. What I noticed about all the different weight loss programs out there is that they tell you to eat the same types of foods.
Simply put, if you want to drop some pounds, make sure your plate is mostly covered in vegetables.
On the most uncomplicated level food is made up of calories that provide us with energy. In order to drop some pounds, you must expend more calories than you take in. All the calories that you don’t expend will be stored as fat in your body.
Cut it in half
“He toasted his bacon on a fork and caught the drops of fat on his bread; then he put the rasher on his thick slice of bread, and cut off chunks with a clasp-knife, poured his tea into his saucer, and was happy.”
― D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers
If you want to start losing weight, begin by only eating half your normal plate of food.
You can then start by replacing some of the food you are now eating with foods that are better for you. Remember that it is a marathon, not a sprint and you don’t have to lose all your weight in a short period of time.
The Murph Challenge
Back in February, I decided I wanted to increase my workouts and was looking for a challenge. My oldest daughter and I signed up for the Murph Challenge. The challenge consists of a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another one mile run while wearing a 20-pound vest.
This looked impossible to me at first and I didn’t know how I was going to train for it. I simplified it by making a plan to complete a fraction of the challenge twice a week and then build on that until the day of the challenge. I knew I could do that. On Memorial Day, May 25th, we took on and conquered the challenge to remember and honor my family, friends, and everyone that has paid the ultimate sacrifice. #Murphchallenge.
Keep It Simple
You can accomplish anything that you set your mind to as long as you don’t get paralysis by analysis and never get started. In the military, we are taught early on the K.I.S.S. principle. That’s Keep It Simple St***D. Break it down to its simplest form, do it, and build on it until you succeed.
How do you simplify things in your life? Please leave a comment below and share them. I learn a lot from your comments If you have any questions or requests for topics I would love to hear them. If you like this post, click on the little star and feel free to share it with others it might help. As always, my posts are based on lessons I’ve learned throughout my life. I don’t claim to be an expert or professional therapist, I just play one on TV (some of you might actually get that joke).
“This Train Is Moving on, You Can Get on, You Can Get off, But the Train Keeps Moving on! We Are Going to the Top of the Mountain!”
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All quotes come from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/simple-life?page=1
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