Simplify

Rush rush rush

…running yellow lights…late again…check Facebook…text back “yes!” on church picnic…”kids turn down your video games, I’m trying to talk on the phone!”… drive-thru meals in the car…check the DVR to make sure it’s recording a show you will never have time to watch…”did I put clothes in the dryer?”…”sure, I can work an extra shift”…. midnight laundry folding sessions…update status that “life is great!”...fall into bed…wake up exhausted…and do it all over again.

This was me. For YEARS.  Stretched thin, little joy, barely getting by…trying to be all things to all people.  I looked in the mirror and I didn’t recognize the reflection.  All I saw was a tired, anxious and defeated image of my former self.  And then I walked away and started enjoying my life.

I moved away from the “perfect” neighborhood to be near a strong support system; I turned my Mercedes in for a “kid shuttle”; I quit my high paying job and regained my nights and weekends; I began cooking dinner again and I allowed people in my life that showed humility and a true belief for family values and roots that inspire me daily.  I learned how to garden (well re-learned…my passion for gardening had been stifled).  I turned the TV off, plugged my phone in when I arrived home, dusted off board games and learned to spend TIME with my growing children, listening to their dreams and enjoying their silliness. 

Our modern day lives pull us from one place to the next and distracts us from what is important and what is real.  Peaceful car rides have now become a multi-tasking environment.  The dinner table has become a coffee table in front of the television.  Texting has replaced conversation because we are too busy (?!?) to talk.

My life is still VERY busy…sometimes overwhelmingly busy.  But it’s busy with the right things…sunsets, soccer games, Sunday dinners, bonfires, family movie night, homemade brownies…moments.  Moments I have been missing…moments I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Maybe simplifying is not an option for you right now but you can set a goal to simplify.    Start with just ONE thing; your full plate will be lighter and your days will be brighter and the simple life will draw you in like a beautiful sunrise…I promise.