In recent months and weeks, I have found myself confronted with the simplicity of the basic and fundamental aspects of life,work, play, cooking, etc. There seems to be alot of focus on living, working, playing – “outside of the box”. In addition, it appears that there is an expectation or belief that if you are to be successful or extraordinary, you must do something beyond the basics…..
What are basics in life for you? Can you be successful in all aspects of your life by just living simply and basically? Why are we striving for extraordinary – nothing is more simple or basic than a sunrise or sunset, a PB&J sandwich, etc. Simple and basic have made many people and circumstances extraordinary….
In this period of reflection, I have been reminded of the youngest of our Belarussian daughters, Anna. As we traveled around with her, several years back, she threw out a “word” in English and we questioned her as to how she knew the definition of it and so she described what it meant. Her word was “progressive” and she defined it in the situation we were in – a very, very small town or possibly a “crossroads” in Florida. We were having a day-trip and as all children do, she kept asking “are we there?” As we came to a stop sign, from the back-seat, she commented, “why, isn’t this a “progressive” town!” Really!!!! I turned around and asked her what did she mean, she shared, from her vantage point, they had all they really needed – there was a school, fire department, church, grocery store, a park and the roads were good. What a perspective at 10 years of age. Most of us would consider those items – basic. The bare necessities of a “progressive” community.
I think of how many of us are faced with restrictions and diagnoses to “watch our diets”. From blood pressure to blood sugar, to fats, natural or organic choices, etc., we have been overwhelmed with how to reign in our love for foods with a robust of flavors and calories. So, we have sought to satisfy those desires with “substitutions” that will allow us to partake of more and not suffer from the consequences of weight gain.
So often I have heard and read about how to improve life, you have to think, work and play “outside the box”. For me, “outside the box” means I might be pushing the limits – maybe too far! To be successful, you have to engage in extraordinary methods. To be more effective in communicating your message, you have to get the upper hand on your competition. And, then I come back to the basics……
Often times, when one gets back to whatever you consider the “basics” in your life, you, and I will find simple is better, less is more and the disciplined fundamental basics provide great results over time. When the basics of life are refined and repeated, it appears that those methods and techniques of life yield extraordinary results and successes.
I am attempting to work on moving my life back to basics and simplifying life. Just as a sideline – the best cake in the whole world for me is the recipe from the 1975 NC State Fair – flour, butter, sugar and eggs. All natural ingredients and so basic.
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