A Simple Life

I’ve been thinking about…

a simple life.

‘Tis winter and I need a simple life. With awareness and self-care, I have my SAD syndrome under control. The best trick is to take cold old January as my time to limit the daily “to do” list and luxuriate in reading for fun. It is also a good time to reflect and assess on what is important.

Keep it simple!

There is no shortage of advice in this area. We find that much of what comes across the bombardment of media in our lives is easily dismissed. What a surprise to find wisdom about the simple life (!) from that old curmudgeon David Letterman who spent 22 years as the successful host of his late night television show.

He no longer hosts the The David Letterman Show. He walked away in 2015 and left the show business rat race to go home — to Indiana.

He says he is a better person, — “I have greater humanity” — in Indiana with his family.

The simple life.

But here’s the thing: “simple” does not mean tedious, monotonous, dull. At 77, Letterman is not retired. He still hosts a talk show, Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. It is not show biz, it is HIS biz — chatting with interesting people.

Simple.

Letterman expresses what many of us understand. “Retirement is a myth. Retirement is nonsense. The human mechanism will not allow you to retire. As long as you are healthy, you still want to produce.”

“So, you got to find something that’s important to you.”

Wise words for people of any age. Find your joy!

Simple!

I think of the simple life as one that is straightforward, un-fussy, down-to earth. Rather than a “must do” list, I can keep a “I want to do list.”

Daughter Jayne lives her own version of the simple life. Check out her activity this month that is full of her clever tips and tricks to beautify life on a budget. For Jayne, the joy is not only the finished “spiffed up” product, but the fun of doing it for pennies.

Simple projects. Simple pleasures. The joy of living a simple life.

Happy New Year, Ya’ll!