Simplicity

“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The word simplicity conjures up so many ideas. I've been really contemplating this word and how it applies to my life. For me, it's much more than a word - it's a complete way of living. At one point I was living simply or so I thought. Perhaps I was simply living. Because of so many things that have been changing in my world I have been forced once again to take stock in my life. Look around and see what is really important. What can I do without? What do I need, not want, but truly need. This economy is rough. It's not getting better either. Huge companies and tiny businesses are closing each and every day. Even our company is going through a change. Oh I can blame this situation on a number of things. I can blame it on government, I can blame my husband for choices he made, I can blame myself for not being stronger and telling my husband no. The list is endless. But, I cannot place blame on anyone or anything. It is what it is. I've allowed it to upset me, to lose sleep, to become irritable too - but no longer. Today I woke up with a new attitude, clear vision. We're blessed. We have the ability to work and provide for our family. We can continue doing this even after we complete this "restructure" (that's fancy talk). Our business will be different, but it will function. My husband has learned that sometimes I really do know what I'm talking about. I've learned that things are just that, things. My blessings are real and cannot be taken away or paid for or given up. They are what make my life what it truly is. So, for me this means some pretty drastic changes and a new way of thinking. I'm finally okay with this. I've given up my fancy schmancy SUV for a used (very used) car that will have NO payments. My husband has done the same thing. So, I won't be strutting my stuff in my severely over-priced car, but I will learn to live with it. It's just a car. I'm giving up my high priced salon (who literally charges obscene amounts of money) for a small local gal who is just a simple hairdresser. There are other changes too. Small ones and big ones. Change. Scary word. Exciting word. Simplicity. Simply living - nope, living simply. Yes, living simply. Living and appreciating the simple things in life. Maybe it's taking time to walk somewhere instead of driving and saying hello to people you see on the way. Perhaps it's lying in the grass next to your child and looking up at the clouds, creating pictures in your mind. Maybe it's buying a refrigerator that serves it's purpose rather than becoming a showcase in your kitchen. So, as I embark on this new and exciting chapter in my life I'm going at it with a positive attitude.