Simplifying is NOT about running away!

Hello my getting balanced friends, :)
It's still blazing hot here on the coast... my office is now a stuffy 88 degrees! I like it that "they" say there is to be a weather shift with rains on the way shortly. Being the sun-seeker that I am, I never thought I'd hear myself say, "Hooray!" but it's true... the heat combined with humidity is over the edge into discomfort.

Hey, I came across a great quote in my in-box this morning and had to share it with you. It reads;

"So, contrary to what some may believe, simplifying is not about retreating to a cabin in the woods and leading a dull, inactive existence. Rather, cutting back your hectic work pace gives you the opportunity to make sure that you're doing work you love. Simplifying will also help you create the balance you're seeking in your work life, your family life, and your personal life. You'll learn how to achieve the success you want without stress and overwork.”

Quotation by Elaine St. James
Taken from: Simplify Your Work Life

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Most likely tend to think that simplifying means selling all of our worldly belongings, exiting out of public life, becoming a bearded hermit and living scaled down to the bare bone. Doing without!

Simplifying is not about withdrawing, becoming stagnant and playing small! Elaine St. James reminds us instead that simplifying provides space for "a breath of fresh air" to blow through our lives, flourishing us to create anew. When we live frantically racing to keep up cobwebs form in every aspect of our experience... physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually, too.

Stepping back is good, but be sure to breathe deeply and make space for creative renewal, instead.

2006 (C) Photograph by Carolyn Clarke, all rights reserved

P.S. This photograph I captured last weekend while camping nicely symbolizes simplicity... letting all busyness fall away and feeling the creative ripples wash over.

Alright, it's simply true... now's the time to move to a cooler part of the office... I am sufficiently cooked for the day! Maybe I'll go and take a dip in the ocean, looking at the water tempts me! :)

Warmly, Carolyn