Making Life Simple...

Okay so this has bothering me a lot lately...with so many friends posting things about "oh look, life is so simple, just do these simple things..." and how that doesn't work.

For example (I've seen too many friends post this and others like it):

1. Missing somebody?...Call...doesn't answer...leave message...don't hear back.
2. Wanna meet up? ...Invite...declined
3. Wanna be understood? ...Explain...either done poorly or people don't listen...continue to not be understood
4. Have questions? ...Ask...don't get answers
5. Don't like something? ...Say it...people don't agree/hurt someone's feelings/people take it personally...see #3
6. Like something?...State it. (I support this one)
7. Want something? ...Ask for it...still don't get it...
8. Love someone? ...Tell it...not returned...not mutual...hurt...

Simple, right?

Of course this is looking at each question at a worst case scenario/cynical way...so how to keep life simple when we just don't always get what we want?

That is just Step 1. That list of things to do is just Step 1. So it's not THAT simple to keep life simple. Actually this is a good recipe to be inconsiderate to other people/things if that's all it is. But this meme is about "simple" so it would defeat the purpose to add a Step 2 or a Step 3...

But I don't think life is simple, so I will go ahead and add them...

Step 2:

1. Don't expect an answer, be understanding when you don't.
2. Declined? Be understanding and supportive.
3. Not understood still? Don't expect people to, but be understanding of others (which in turn helps them with THEIR #3)
4. Don't expect answers, you won't always get them, be understanding and acceptance of not knowing
5. Understand people don't want to always hear you don't like something. This is very negative. Shouldn't deny it, but be gentle with it and understand that people wont agree....even after #3
6. I support this one. But understand people may not agree
7. Go after what you want. But don't expect it to always happen, understand that it may not. You may not get what you want.
8. Do it for the sake of letting someone know they are loved. Where it's not about the return. It's about showing love and understand that it's a big thing to say to someone "I love you."

...

So, you want life to be simple? Do this:

BE UNDERSTANDING
LISTEN
LAUGH
and above all
ACT WITH LOVE
(and do it for the sake of doing it, not for a return, not for a reward, but just for the sake of doing it)

Be understanding of people, that they are different and don't always agree.
Listen to them. Actually listen to what they are saying (this helps you understand).
Laugh. Be able to find humor and laughter in things...at yourself...and at situations...
And ACT with love. Don't just say it...you can say it too...but SHOW it. Show people you love. Have your actions come from a place of love. Love for yourself and love for them. Love for the world that we share.

But is it really even that simple? ...as of right now I say yes lol But I could be wrong...

Basically it can get even simpler and go to one word:

ACCEPTANCE

You want life to be as simple as it can be...live by that word. But I think that simplifies it too much. Too much to the extent that this wouldn't help progress the world if we all did this.




And as far as finding a successful life...I prefer my friend Steven's quote:

"Just find what you love to do...and just do it better than everyone else."

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Side note on the "acceptance" thing:

The stages to acceptance are (according to some people):

Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression

The key one here is depression and anger. If we go through these every time we "accept" something...and if the simplest way to make life simple is to act on acceptance...then being angry and being sad are a part of making life simple...which...to some people doesn't make life simple at all :P just interesting to think about...