LIFE IS MEANT TO BE SIMPLE: STOP AND RESET

Our communities are inundated with people who are stressed and worn out. We have adopted this idea that busyness and grinding constitute productivity. However, what our busy lives have proven to render to us are headaches, stomach aches, memory loss, obesity, chronic disease, depression, anxiety, unhealthy/unrealistic competition, and a medicine cabinet filled with prescription drugs and over the counter medication. I was recently on an outing with my mother, and I heard more coughing than I ever had heard in public. Everybody was coughing, and using their hands to cover their mouths, and using those same hands at the drink fountain, on the door knobs, elevator buttons, magazines,…The strange thing is that no body seemed to be bothered by the coughing but me. This was on more than two locations. Not even were coughers seemingly concerned. Something is incredibly wrong with this picture. People are so checked out — checked out even with their own bodies. If you do not think so, just stop into your nearest big box retailer, not to shop, but to pay attention to the shoppers. The very first thing you will recognize is the obvious — obesity. You will continue and notice skin, dry, flaky, acne, unwashed, and just simple signs of unhealthy skin. The next thing, you will recognize are the contents of the shopping carts — filled with packaged food and foods that are beige, brown, and tan. If you get close enough to witness a smile or two or three, gums are inflamed and receding, and teeth are unhealthy. Why? We have checked out of the pursuit for quality of life, and settled for activities that consume our spirits, souls (mind), and our body. The very life components that determined our self-worth, our authenticity, and our health are heavily under attack. The saddest narrative is that work, church, social media, friends, family, all types of entertainment, money, success, things, the unhealthy pursuit of happiness, television, and the list goes on, these accoutrements have ensnared us to such a degree that we do not notice that it siphoning our peace, creativity, play, health, and time — all of which are contributors to the quality of life that we are designed to have.

It is my desire to seduce you into living a life that is enshrouded in simplicity, and the notion that less is more. Where did we get the idea that sleep, rest, relaxation, mindfulness, and simple act of breathing are not important? Where did we get the idea that working all night, living off coffee and tea, eating packaged and fast foods, lack of restful sleep, hours on social media, and the feelings of never enough or never good enough are par for the course? Again, my intent is for this book is that the ideas here of simplicity are as seductive as your IPhone or Android.

It is not the cure all for the culture that we have fallen into that permeates every sector of our life with you must try this, you must do this, if you are going to succeed here are the 10 steps, and the unending list of requirements to be somebody. Newsflash, you are already somebody, and somebody very important for that matter. This book is intended to seduce you to STOP. You can breathe, you do not have to continue in this rat race. Those of you who have been engaged in the late nights of work and grinding, may say, it works. Does it really? The fact that, you picked up this book that is entitled “Life Is Meant To Be Simple: Stop And Reset” is a telling sign that you are probably tired, simply tired. Examine yourself. Start with your thoughts. What consumes your mind? What are you thinking about before you go to sleep or better yet, what thoughts are keeping you awake? What are your thoughts when you awake in the morning? What are your thoughts throughout the day? Is your mind racing? Racing against what? How often do experience fatigue, the kind of fatigue that makes you irritable, impatient, and just unproductive? How often to take pain medicine, allergy and sinus medicine, and type of laxatives? What did you eat that was bright green yesterday? What luscious fruit did you enjoy yesterday? How many cups of water did you drink? How many cups of coffee? How many sodas? Who ticked you off yesterday? Why did they? Are you frustrated with the very people you love, and who love you back? Are you drinking some form of a serving of alcohol more than 1–2 times a week? Are you confused? Overstimulated? Overweight? Overall feeling sick in the body? Sad, depressed, anxious, low self-esteem? Your answers to these questions will determine whether your current lifestyle is working for you. You may be earning the money, but at what cost? You may getting your kids to all of their activities, but at what cost? You may be everything to everybody, but at what cost? You may have tons of followers and likes on social media, but at what cost? There is indeed a need for a balance in our lives. What we do with our time should be lifegiving. Join me as we delve into learning how to thrive in simplicity as we stop and reset our lives.