I recently took 6 weeks off from work to rest, recharge, and think about what do next with my life and my business. And if I’ve had a “big aha” from my sabbatical, it’s this:
I want a simple life.
And by simple, I mean not crazy busy.
Taking time off reminded me that crazy busy is a choice. Actually, it’s a whole string of choices I’ve made throughout my past days, weeks, months, and years. Shame on me.
It is so easy to get caught up in everything going on around me. The world moves at a pretty good clip these days. It feels like if I DON’T get caught up in it I’ll get left behind. I won’t make more money, my kids won’t make the “A” soccer team, my house will completely fall apart without new carpeting, I won’t have nearly enough in the rugrat’s college fund, and who’s going to build houses in San Salvador if I don’t volunteer for the upcoming mission trip??????
Oh, and if I don’t spend at least 30 minutes a day posting about my totally perfect family on social media, how will people ever know how crazy busy my life is? You know, so they can “like” how crazy busy I am, which only encourages me to keep up my crazy busy life.
While I was on sabbatical, I was really hoping that I would receive a grand vision from the universe about what I should do next. No such luck. Instead, I think I may have received something far more valuable: I got a glimpse of what a simple life looks like…and I kinda loved it. In fact, I’d go so far to say I’m now craving it.
I suspect I’m not the only one.
Because deep down, we know that a simple life can be an incredibly powerful, fulfilling life. It may not contain as many shiny possessions (that eventually end up in the storage room in the basement) or likes on Facebook (which are forgotten by tomorrow). It might mean fewer soccer trophies for the kiddos (most of them are for “participation” anyway) and I might have to save a little longer for that trip to Italy I have on my bucket list.
But living a simple life means I get my LIFE back. I get to rediscover the magic moments every day brings. I get to focus my work where I can make the most impact without overspending my most valuable asset, time. I get to build (or rebuild) relationships that are important to me. I get to invest in what inspires me rather than what tires me.
Just in case you’re wondering: I’m not dying, I’m not becoming a monk, and I’m not selling all my possessions. I like my stuff. In fact, I’ve got a list of things I’d like to possess (I fantasize daily about a beach house). I have dreams and milestones I’d like to achieve in my work. There are about a million things I’d like my kids to experience before they reach adulthood.
I can choose all kinds of busyness and complexity as I work toward filling my life with these things in the future OR I can choose to keep life simple and enjoy my life, my family, and my work right now, every day that I possibly can.
By the way, this doesn’t mean I won’t achieve some (maybe even all) of the stuff I mentioned above. It just means that I can no longer use busy as an excuse to not be present right here, right now. Been there, done that, and rationalized it as well as anybody. And it was always a load of crap. In fact, here’s something to consider:
You can’t even spell “busy” without a little b.s.
If you’re craving a simple life, too, stick with me. I’ll definitely be exploring this idea more over the next several months. Who am I kidding? I’ll be exploring this idea the rest of my life, ha ha!
But right now, I’d love to hear from you. What are YOUR thoughts about living a more simple life? Leave a reply below.
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Are ya with me?