Sunday Musings - August 28, 2022
Keep it simple
One of the pieces of advice one often hears from sponsors in 12 step recovery program, or other spiritual programs is, “Keep it simple stupid.” This advice is not meant as an insult but as a gentle reminder that many of us humans get so involved or consumed with details that we see only the forest and not the trees.
Early on teachers in and out of the formal classroom setting have reminded me that there are no complicated issues. There all many situations, problems, and machines which may appear complicated, but all are composed of many relatively simple pieces or connections. If one is looking only at the whole one quickly can become overwhelmed.
Early in my life journey - probably upon the advice of a wise adult - I learned if I was walking, driving, or riding my bike up a huge mountain if I focused on the top I quickly became overwhelmed and found the task too daunting to even attempt. If, however, I looked for the next tree, rock or even crack in road and made it my destination I could easily compete that distance.
Although some may write an outline before they begin a book or a musical composition, one only writes one note, word or sentence at a time. With the theme or subject in mind, one will then allow one note or sentence to direct one to the next one. One may need to play with that sequence for a bit, but every seemingly complicated task is composed of such simple, small steps.
While driving from Tulsa to Wheeling recently I listened to many podcasts, interviews or commentaries on various local, national and international situations. It is clearly true that we as a species whose behavior affects all part of the universes face a number of issues which are crying to be addressed. These include:
o The effect of our actions on the climate; how to sharply decrease behavior which is resulting in global warming.
o The economics which leaves resources so unfairly and unevenly distributed resulting in some having much more than they need and many others being hungry, homeless, without safe drinking water, without access to health care and often feeling disconnected and lonely.
o Our human attachment to dualities; our habit of labeling people, places and events as better/worse, good/gad, right/wrong. This leads to the fact that we imprison so many and hold on to our attachment to punishing as a primary approach to healing the wounds of the soul/heart.
o Our human fear that it is not enough to be us; that we need to prove our worth with more money, possessions, power, land or some other external.
o Our attachment to violence which is directly related to our fear of ourselves which is related to of fear of each other; of focusing on the external differences and not the internal similarities.
o Our fear of mental illness and other “dis eases”] which is related to our fear of our humanness.
We each have particular talents and amass various types of knowledge. I will never be a talented artist of paintings or sculptures, a singer who sings on key, a person who has the patience or appetite to work on circuit boards, a race car driver, or a person who has any number of other skills or talents. I do have some particular talents but the developments of each of those talents or skills has required the willingness and ability to take each step of a process, study it and practice, practice, practice.
There may, of course, be those individuals who are seeming born with a talent which has been welded onto their DNA. The child who can play a musical instrument or sing on key at 3 years old is clearly born with a talent most of us will never achieve. There are those whose minds seems to be able to “automatically” break down any problem or tasks into simple steps without having to work at it. Most of us, however, need the reminder to “keep it simple stupid.”. Whether the task is our spiritual journey, having a healthier relationship with Mother Earth, letting go of our attachment to punishment, learning to solve a math problem, or cleaning house one needs to proceed one tiny step at a time.
None of us has all the sole abilities or talents needed to create a loving, healthy community. All of us have some talents and abilities to contribute to the building of the emotional, spiritual, physical and mechanical parts of such a community. If we use our particular talents and those of others and accept the fact there are no complicated issues or situations we can create that loving, just community. We can just keep it simple.
Written August 28, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Keep it simple
One of the pieces of advice one often hears from sponsors in 12 step recovery program, or other spiritual programs is, “Keep it simple stupid.” This advice is not meant as an insult but as a gentle reminder that many of us humans get so involved or consumed with details that we see only the forest and not the trees.
Early on teachers in and out of the formal classroom setting have reminded me that there are no complicated issues. There all many situations, problems, and machines which may appear complicated, but all are composed of many relatively simple pieces or connections. If one is looking only at the whole one quickly can become overwhelmed.
Early in my life journey - probably upon the advice of a wise adult - I learned if I was walking, driving, or riding my bike up a huge mountain if I focused on the top I quickly became overwhelmed and found the task too daunting to even attempt. If, however, I looked for the next tree, rock or even crack in road and made it my destination I could easily compete that distance.
Although some may write an outline before they begin a book or a musical composition, one only writes one note, word or sentence at a time. With the theme or subject in mind, one will then allow one note or sentence to direct one to the next one. One may need to play with that sequence for a bit, but every seemingly complicated task is composed of such simple, small steps.
While driving from Tulsa to Wheeling recently I listened to many podcasts, interviews or commentaries on various local, national and international situations. It is clearly true that we as a species whose behavior affects all part of the universes face a number of issues which are crying to be addressed. These include:
o The effect of our actions on the climate; how to sharply decrease behavior which is resulting in global warming.
o The economics which leaves resources so unfairly and unevenly distributed resulting in some having much more than they need and many others being hungry, homeless, without safe drinking water, without access to health care and often feeling disconnected and lonely.
o Our human attachment to dualities; our habit of labeling people, places and events as better/worse, good/gad, right/wrong. This leads to the fact that we imprison so many and hold on to our attachment to punishing as a primary approach to healing the wounds of the soul/heart.
o Our human fear that it is not enough to be us; that we need to prove our worth with more money, possessions, power, land or some other external.
o Our attachment to violence which is directly related to our fear of ourselves which is related to of fear of each other; of focusing on the external differences and not the internal similarities.
o Our fear of mental illness and other “dis eases”] which is related to our fear of our humanness.
We each have particular talents and amass various types of knowledge. I will never be a talented artist of paintings or sculptures, a singer who sings on key, a person who has the patience or appetite to work on circuit boards, a race car driver, or a person who has any number of other skills or talents. I do have some particular talents but the developments of each of those talents or skills has required the willingness and ability to take each step of a process, study it and practice, practice, practice.
There may, of course, be those individuals who are seeming born with a talent which has been welded onto their DNA. The child who can play a musical instrument or sing on key at 3 years old is clearly born with a talent most of us will never achieve. There are those whose minds seems to be able to “automatically” break down any problem or tasks into simple steps without having to work at it. Most of us, however, need the reminder to “keep it simple stupid.”. Whether the task is our spiritual journey, having a healthier relationship with Mother Earth, letting go of our attachment to punishment, learning to solve a math problem, or cleaning house one needs to proceed one tiny step at a time.
None of us has all the sole abilities or talents needed to create a loving, healthy community. All of us have some talents and abilities to contribute to the building of the emotional, spiritual, physical and mechanical parts of such a community. If we use our particular talents and those of others and accept the fact there are no complicated issues or situations we can create that loving, just community. We can just keep it simple.
Written August 28, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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