Seeking Simplicity

"When hungry, eat; when thirsty, take a drink; when sleepy, go to sleep" — Zen saying

It's the simple things with which I struggle. This is why I'm fat. It's why our house is a mess.

Bigger things often feel easier. Over eight years, I saved for and then bought a Tesla. I manage an organization approaching $2M in value and a staff of a dozen. At home, I pay bills, keep us out of credit card and student loan debt. Big stuff.

But I eat when not hungry, drink with no connection to thirst, and stay awake long past feeling sleepy. I've put laundry in the machine but the den is covered in pet hair and there are cobwebs in the kitchen. I have four letters from a friend I haven't answered. Yet still I find time for Twitter.

All of this is difficult to accept though I bet acceptance is the first step. It's difficult accepting I haven't run in weeks, still haven't hung the paintings at my office. I make coffee each morning, write three pages by hand, but won't pull on running shorts or hammer a couple nails.

Am I whining? I hope not. Mostly I'm trying to understand.

I've written blog posts this week, one each morning without worrying if I'll do it again the next day, just enjoying. A Zen master might say, when the thought begins, write.

Perhaps that's a start. I'll think it over while moving laundry from washer to dryer. Maybe I'll consider it while vacuuming to the den. Maybe today I'll ask, am I hungry, do I thirst, or am I ready to sleep? Which is to say, maybe I'll consider the things which are and aren't simple and that have simple answers in this complex life.