“It’s just that simple.” A phrase I heard a month ago from someone. But the thing is, I still couldn’t tell you what exactly she was referring to. Was it the fact that she’s simple-minded? Or that she simply doesn’t care? Maybe this was an insult or maybe a compliment?
Eh, you let me know. I think she meant it as a demeaning comment, that I should know better, but honestly, what exactly is simple?
“Simple” is an adjective defined as easily understood or done, presenting no difficulty.
So, technically, was I complimented? At this point, I will take it. I’ve come to appreciate the simpler things in life. My goal has become to be not part of chaos—or in this case, be part of individuals’ lives who claim they aren’t trying to have bad blood with others, even though that’s all they are capable of doing.
I have gained more insight into my life through sunrise walks with my best friend. Trust me, you learn a lot about yourself while freezing in rain and feeding the koi at the pond by the Business School. You learn that you need to work out because you have started panting after too many laps, that asiago cheese bagels with honey walnut cream cheese might be your new favorite breakfast and the best way to remember all this is by taking the most obnoxious self-timer hujis.
But more importantly, you start to pick up on small things that don’t seem to impact you anymore and how you truly could make life just that simple. During those walks, dressed as the most raggedy version of myself, I am truly happy and carefree. I’m not embarrassed about being too loud or obnoxious, not worried about the way I look or the way I act. Truly a bit of character development. I mean, don’t get me wrong; I like dressing up just as much as the next girl, but I’ve grown more confident in my own skin. It’s the idea of simplifying what I used to think of as important. It’s the idea of staying intentional with everything that you do. About learning how valuable rest can be to create a semblance of happy and peace during finals week. It’s about not letting anyone or anything ever control your life and your thoughts. It’s about simplifying our surroundings—more importantly, in my case, it should be reorganizing and decluttering my bedroom. It’s about eliminating negative thoughts which, though easier in theory, can be a rewarding task. It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone but being okay with it. One of the most important things I have learned is that simplicity goes hand in hand with balance—finding the right amount of time for studying for an upcoming Neuro exam and re-watching “Grey’s Anatomy” for the 203,480,324th time. Once the balance is present, the rest simply falls into place. It’s all about following the age-old adage “less is more” as a guideline to life.
Adopting simplicity in our lives is much like peeling an onion—and I swear I’m not making a Shrek reference here—but more about shedding layers. When we reach the inner most layer, i.e., our true selves, we get to the true essence of our cores shedding the layers of superficial persona we have created for society. So maybe, this passive aggressive comment from an individual could have been the wake-up call to get me out of my daily rut. But just remember, whether it’s a sunrise walk with a friend, or just rearranging your week to be more lowkey—make that simple tweak to your life and enjoy it to its fullest. Because, quite frankly, “it’s just that simple.”