With South Africans finally closing the chapter on a scandal-ridden presidency, many of us are looking forward to a sense of normality. For nearly a decade we’ve been held captive by such an intricate network of deception that, towards the end, there was an almost frenetic desire to undo its suffocating stranglehold on our collective psyche. It left us spent and tired. So, who can blame me when all I want to do is go back to a simpler life? A life where everything is stripped of its obfuscating and complicated layers … where confusion turns into clarity … where chaos turns into order … where there is a clear focus on getting the basics right … where consumption is reduced and nothing is wasted. A life where the things that bring joy are appreciated … a life where “gratitude is the best attitude”. In the words of Christy Ann Martine – I want to “find myself in the appreciation of life”.
If truth be told, I tend to over-complicate matters. The outcome … I never really get to the things that matter … never get to truly live in the moment. Maybe it’s my obsessive compulsive tendencies … or the energy sapping striving for perfection … or just that infuriating control freak in me! Ironically, it always has the opposite effect, leaving me less in control and by no means perfect. I need to accept that “the greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go” – Steve Maraboli. In striving for perfection, I over-complicate. I replace simplicity with complexity. I have a feeling there are many of you out there who do the very same. It stifles our ability to complete so many things in life, and so we never get to feel the contentment that should come as a natural consequence. We don’t simplify enough!
But where to start? A good place would be that “attitude of gratitude”. When last have you given thought to the many wonderful people in your life that you should be grateful for? We should all learn to embrace the values championed in “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”, a person is a person through other people. For one, I have an amazing daughter who miraculously survived a premature birth at just 25 weeks and weighing only 510 grams. Defying the odds, she continues to carve out her unique niche in this world. Then there’s my husband and best friend, who truly is my rock. Deep down I know “I am” because of who “he is”. My mother, fiercely independent and physically strong, who has given so much of herself to me. Then there are all the amazing friends and family who have shared precious moments with me in this journey called life.
When last have you stopped to appreciate the beauty of nature’s bounty? In our daily autopilot rush, we forget, we become less grateful. Our family is blessed to be living in a beautiful coastal town, surrounded by oceans, lakes, wetlands, mountains and the majestic Cape Nature Reserve. Few things compare to the tranquility and beauty of a country-coastal lifestyle. So, instead of arguing who’s going to walk the dog, I’m going to relish in the task knowing that I’m spoilt for choice when it comes to locations. From the multitude of sandy shores to the rugged fynbos-strewn mountains. When I next feel the need to bemoan “my lot in life”, I’m going to remember the many in our breathtaking land who have never visited the coast, never placed their feet in the blue enticing waters, never stared out over endless stretches of ocean to the distant horizon.
I invite you to also embrace this appreciation of life. We owe it to ourselves to find that simplicity that works for us. We all need to spend our most valuable resource, time, on the things that really matter. So go on … declutter, and only leave the things that truly add value to your life. But most of all … learn to appreciate! I’m certainly going to!
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Confucius
Author: Mauricia Jordaan
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