A steaming mug of coffee, a piece of buttered pan de sal and a view to the tambis-littered street, what could be more simple on a Thursday morning?
By the way, the English word for “tambis” is rose apple or watery rose apple, which is really not an apple. It is, according to my frantic research, a reference to Angophora costata and also Syzygium aqueum. S. aqueum is a species of brush cherry tree with bell-shaped edible fruits. And this digression has started to complicate my work at hand: how to celebrate National Simplify Your Life Week in the first week of August.
Live simply, I am told. A local joke observes that simple life means no brushing of teeth and bathing. It gets the anticipated snickers but I wouldn’t go to that extreme to find examples of living simply.
No, I don’t have to go too far away from the tambis tree.
I just have to gaze up at this tree that has been pruned by my neighbor time and time again.
Time and time again it simply sprouts new branches and bears pink fruits in return for the pain it has received.
My friend Rosse G laughs at my idea. “It’s a tree, Lith. It can’t help itself but regenerate. God has placed in its DNA code the urge to regrow.”
Verily I say, it was a simple but brilliant way of looking at the natural world and how it works. Nature does what it has been ordered to do. How about man? 9)I, a human being, have learned the power of simplicity. The Covid-19 Pandemic has reduced life to its lowest term.
The limitation of movement has taught us to have time for family, enjoy meals together, pray together and find simple entertainment apart from the usual venues such as the beach and the mall.
We didn’t die because we couldn’t go malling or hiking.
I did become a prisoner of my mind, especially as an elderly person with no work. How did I free myself from the confines of this jail?
By being constantly eager to know new ideas, learning new games and daily sweeping away negative thoughts. How else can I share the mathematical equation of simplicity?
Focus on one area in your life to simplify one day at a time. Maybe you’re obsessed about a goal that prevents you from enjoying the journey? Accept that a bronze medal means “not 4th” and being 7th means not 8th. Trite as it sounds, we have places under the sun and it’s an honorable place.
Move it. Clean the cabinets. Give away stuff you haven’t used in a year.
While you’re at it, lessen your social activity.
Rather than watching thriller movies before bedtime, replace it with prayer and meditation for at least 15 minutes.
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