Simplicity

There is a reminder in my task list, set to repeat the first of every month.

It says this:

“Remember simplicity.”

Though this may seem like a strange reminder, I know that I need it — because left to my own devices, I will forget the beauty of simplicity completely. Maybe it’s because I’m a fan of all things tech. Maybe it’s because I’m a ‘millennial’, part of a generation more than ever surrounded by distraction and material things. Maybe it’s because I’m an American, and this is deeply embedded in western culture.

Regardless, I do know one thing: I have found more happiness in simplicity than I ever will the latest gadget.

When I see that self-prescribed reminder, the change I’m seeking is mere mindfulness. I don’t have some special call-to-action, because no call is more important than remembering a truth in the first place. I try to remember it every time I buy something new, or foolishly look for happiness in an object or experience — but I don’t always succeed.

Still, I won’t give up on the search for what satisfies — and I’ll keep looking at this reminder, again and again, for months to come.