Sunday, June 5, 2011

DeeAnne White

My grandfather used to say that we were born as smart as we’d ever be, and that we became less bright with age. I never understood what he meant, until today.

You see, when we’re born we see the world in an uncomplicated way. We know what we need, and we ask for it. We like nice people, and we don’t like mean people. We sleep when we’re tired, we eat when we’re hungry, and we stop eating when we’re full.

As we grow older, we eat and drink to console ourselves, rather than addressing what’s bothering us. We overwork to avoid close relationships, rather than finding people we can trust to form strong bonds with. We hold grudges, play games, spend more than we make, want things we don’t need, and we get too far away from our basic human needs. In other words, we complicate things.

Today, on what would have been my grandfather’s 88th birthday, I dedicate this list to my Papa. Thank you for everything. I finally get it.
1. Don’t try to read other people’s minds
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7. Don’t try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people.
...
99. Stretch every day
100. If a relationship is over, let it go

3 comments:

  1. "100 Ways to Uncomplicate Your Life" by DeeAnne White

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  2. My grandfather used to say that we were born as smart as we’d ever be, and that we became less bright with age. I never understood what he meant, until today.

    You see, when we’re born we see the world in an uncomplicated way. We know what we need, and we ask for it. We like nice people, and we don’t like mean people. We sleep when we’re tired, we eat when we’re hungry, and we stop eating when we’re full.

    As we grow older, we eat and drink to console ourselves, rather than addressing what’s bothering us. We overwork to avoid close relationships, rather than finding people we can trust to form strong bonds with. We hold grudges, play games, spend more than we make, want things we don’t need, and we get too far away from our basic human needs. In other words, we complicate things.

    Today, on what would have been my grandfather’s 88th birthday, I dedicate this list to my Papa. Thank you for everything. I finally get it.

    1. Don’t try to read other people’s minds

    2. Get up 30 minutes earlier so that you don’t rush/get a ticket while driving too fast/have to explain why you’re late/get fired

    3. Get 8 hours of sleep per night so that you think more clearly

    4. Stick to your budget

    5. Start saving and investing every week, no matter how little you can spare

    6. Balance your checkbook

    7. Don’t try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people.

    8. Don’t try to do business with everyone. Identify your target client and take very good care of them.

    9. Before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years

    10. Focus on being a good person, not on pleasing others

    11. Stay home this Saturday, and finish off that nagging chore that you need to finish

    12. Kiss and make up

    13. Make a weekly menu, and shop for only those items at the market

    14. Ask your grandparents the best way to uncomplicate life, and try it for a month

    15. Fill up your gas tank when it’s half full

    16. Don’t drink alcohol when you’re tired, sad or mad

    17. Pay your bills on time

    18. Get an annual physical examination

    19. Say “I love you” to your significant other and to your children. Studies show that more marriages last, and fewer kids use drugs, when these words are spoken every day.

    20. For just one day, imagine everyone’s intentions are good because most people’s are

    21. Give away clothes that haven’t been worn in two years

    22. Throw out clothes that are in disrepair, and can’t be mended

    23. When you have a conflict with someone, talk it out. Don’t let it turn into more than it is.

    24. Know what your priorities are in life, and act as if they are your priorities

    25. Tell the truth

    26. Don’t cheat

    27. Don’t steal

    28. If you’re holding on to a ridiculous grudge, let it go

    29. Clean your house weekly, so that it doesn’t become too large a chore

    30. Do your best at work, or at school

    31. Don’t eat when you aren’t hungry

    32. Eat when you are hungry

    33. Be yourself

    34. Say no unapologetically

    35. Cook simple meals

    36. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses

    37. Pay off your car before buying a new one

    38. Organise your desk at the office

    39. Change your smoke alarm batteries when the clocks spring forward, and again when they fall back

    40. Organise your important paperwork

    41. Take only half the clothes that you planned to take with you on holiday

    42. Help your children with their homework every night, and have an open dialogue with their teachers

    43. Have white sheets and white towels in children’s rooms/bathrooms, because they’re easily bleached

    44. Spend your time with nice people

    45. Avoid drama

    46. Don’t text or talk on the phone while driving

    47. Turn off the television/video games/computer; they’re time consumers

    48. Don’t engage in office politics

    49. Refuse to gossip, or talk behind other people’s backs

    50. Do the dishes right after dinner

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  3. 51. Never go to sleep angry

    52. Ask nicely for what you need and want

    53. Walk 10,000 steps per day to help your heart

    54. Do 20 push-ups before speaking in anger

    55. Leave work at work

    56. Don’t befriend anyone that isn’t trustworthy

    57. Don’t envy others

    58. Have your oil changed

    59. Take vitamin C BEFORE you catch a cold

    60. Don’t work more than 8 hours per day

    61. Weed your garden weekly

    62. Wash your car weekly

    63. Have a spring cleaning month every year, and do one room at a time

    64. You don’t need to be best friends with work colleagues, but build respectful partnerships

    65. Don’t drink and drive

    66. Don’t look for reasons to be angry or sad, look for reasons to be happy. You’ll always be able to find plenty of each.

    67. Be friendly with your neighbours

    68. Return emails and phone messages promptly

    69. Schedule in free time

    70. Don’t procrastinate

    71. Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it

    72. Be more flexible when you’re able to be

    73. Forgive and forget. End of story.

    74. Break the consumerism habit…put a three month moratorium in place on buying anything not deemed a necessity

    75. Start your diet on September 1, rather than January 1, so that you won’t also have holiday pounds to lose

    76. Take care of any health issues or concerns

    77. Have your tires rotated

    78. Have your brakes checked

    79. Have your eyes checked

    80. Don’t let your imagination run away with you

    81. Let go of perfection in others

    82. Let go of perfection in yourself

    83. Don’t try to help those that refuse to help themselves

    84. Find a way to reduce your commute to work

    85. Have an alloted amount of worry time per day/week, that you strictly abide by

    86. Drink more water

    87. Eat more salmon

    88. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill

    89. Wear your hair in a classic, easy to care for style

    90. Finish what you start

    91. Wear classic clothes and shoes that never go out of style

    92. Create a daily routine

    93. Have a 1, 5, 10 and 20 year plan for your financial and life goals

    94. Slow down

    95. Eat out less often

    96. When you ask your husband which outfit looks best, thank him for his answer and wear the one he liked rather than focusing on why he didn’t like the other one

    97. Allow your children to grow up

    98. Clean out your garage, and donate anything that hasn’t been used in the past year

    99. Stretch every day

    100. If a relationship is over, let it go

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