Simple vs. easy

Life is increasing complex these days.  In many arenas of life, the familiar and routine have been upended.  Technology, the pandemic, our political divide, cancel culture…so many things are shifting the ways in which we relate to our world. 

Dealing with these complexities makes me yearn for simplicity.  I feel pulled towards things that are straightforward and clear.  Fortunately, there are so many things in life that are still simple…healthy eating, kindness, gratitude, loving our neighbors, breathing deeply, listening to a friend…all these things are simple to do.  However, they are not easy.  

It’s tempting for me to believe that because something is simple, it will also be easy.  Simple things are often very challenging but very rewarding.  Let’s take for example eating a healthy diet.  To do it well, you need to eat mostly plants, healthy fats, get enough protein and cut down on carbohydrates and sugar.  The concepts are quite simple…however, getting those concepts to play out in my life are not always so easy.  Based on the number of different diet programs available in the market today, I am guessing I am not the only one who finds this challenging.  

In contrast, so many of the behaviors wrapped up in the complexities of life are in essence very easy…eating junk food, scrolling through technology, making judgements of others…these things don’t take much effort and they don’t offer much reward. 

Understanding the distinction between simple and easy helps me sort out my choices.  It reminds me to continue to pursue simple things, even if they are hard to reach.  If I continue to practice the simple, I can continually reset and restart.  And, maybe this practice of simple things will increase my fortitude for tackling the more complex issues in life.  Practice makes progress!