Living Lightly

A few years ago, out of a desire for more peace of mind and the need to address some health issues, my husband and I made a conscious decision to simplify our lives and lighten our attitudes. We adopted the “Less Is More” philosophy, with my own little twist: “Less is more...relaxing.”

When we really want to, most of us can simplify and unclutter, no matter what our ages or stages in life. With enough self-love and caring, we can choose to spend more time in overstuffed chairs and less juggling overstuffed schedules.

Just as too much demand placed on available electricity sources can result in citywide electrical brownouts, we, too, are light beings often overextended by demands of brighter, more long-lasting “shining” than we can manage. When depression and feelings of hopelessness set in, these are sure signs that our own circuits are overloaded. We experience physical, emotional, and spiritual brownouts.

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you,” a Maori proverb urges. What if you turned your face to the sun and invited increased light and levity in your life? How might you feel if you lightened your load of commitments and accumulations, highlighted your attitudes and observations with humor, lowered your stress levels, and decreased demands for perfection and performance? More hopeful, I bet!

If you were to turn your face to the sun and live more gently with yourself, what might you add to or subtract from your life?

Excerpted from How to Stay Upbeat in a Beat Down World by Sue Patton Thoele. Available on Amazon.