So I was doing a little light reading on Occam's razor. I think I like Einstein's variation of it best: "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." Huh?! Okay. That's good advice. But where do you start - to whittle away those things that don't make sense, but not to the point of too simple.
Granted this is making a stretch of this theory beyond it's original intention *(entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity)...but I think it's a good starting point to try and simplify life.
I am also a fan of Thoreau - but I think his advice of "simplify, simplify" is a bit to vague.
What spurred this whole monologue within me? Maybe it's the back to school schedule...a bit overwhelmed with the oldest child having to get up an hour earlier than last year to catch the bus, feeling unfamiliar in the new role of middle school parent and the fact that now the kids have a cell phone and an email account. When did things change so fast?! It seems like it happened all within a week, but truthfully I think the decisions on the cell phone and email had been made a while back, I was just putting them off in denial...my way of trying to keep things simple.
It's a new school year. And it has taken a while to acclimate to the nuances of our new adventure - some are good, some are unchanged and some are VERY different. But with all of this brings a lot of clutter, schedule changes, confusion and being disorganized. I am reaching - stretching - for that balance of being organized and attentive (a perception of control exists here). I feel so distracted right now. Pulled in so many directions...it is time to simplify...but where to start...
It starts with me. Within.
I smiled the other day when my grown-up-overnight-7th grader came home and was discussing communications with me. She said that her teacher said that it's possible for someone to be talking, but for the listener not to hear. "To hear but not hear - that's what we talked about at camp," she said. I smiled. That was one of my favorite prayers during Shabat service. It speaks of a quiet calm that starts with REALLY hearing and tuning into the world and people around us...and I think that's the best place for me to start to start shaving off those distractions - making changes in me, my behaviors, my world...whittle it down to the most simple way of life, without being too simple.
Well said. I love this.
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