Simplify this Summer

I’ve been thinking lately about simplifying my life. The older I get, the more overwhlemed I become with “choice overload.” You know what I mean: too many songs to choose from on my ipod, too many emails to answer, too many choices of bread at the grocery store. I can’t answer my voice mail on my cell phone, my land line or my voice mail at work. I get so overloaded with ridiculous decisions that must be made, that I make none at all. So, I leave the computer off, the ipod on my desk, my phone ringing, the bread drawer empty and I go for walks in the woods.

The truth is, every one of us mothers feels the strain of constant noise, decisions, and interruptions. And it is making each one of us crazy. No, I think it is turning us into monsters- at least that’s what my kids tell me when I’m frazzled by hearing, deciding, seeing and organizing too much stuff around me. So, I am going to change things. Then maybe, I’ll turn into a nicer person.

First, I’m going to leave the house and walk every day. I’m not going to walk for exercise, but for fun. Worrying about exercise even stresses me, so I’m giving it up (worrying and exercise.) Second, I’m going to schedule fun things to do with my kids. We need to laugh because life is too stressful and I think laughter helps make big things seem smaller.

Next, I’m going to spend the summer figuring out what I really want to accomplish during my remaining years on this earth and critically look at whether or not I’m accomplishing them. I know that my primary reason for living is to love my family really well. So, this summer, I’m going to dig deeply and see if I’m accomplishing that. I will spend time concentrating, praying and meditating on this because in the end, who cares what’s on my ipod, how many emails I’ve responded to, or how much money I’ve made. If I haven’t loved them very well, nothing else in my life amonts to much at all.

For the next few months of our short summer, I would encourage you to join me. Challenge yourself to get rid of noise, stuff, electronics, (even some days at work) and walk. And while you’re walking take a hard look at what you want to do with the rest of your life. Keep it simple, because accomplishing the really important work in our lives is always the simplest- it just happens to be the toughest to do.

I want to start by loving my friends and family better. And that means spending less time answering emails, texts, watching television and multi-tasking. Nope. Not this summer. As a matter of fact, I’ve got to run. I hope you do the same.