The Paradox
We miss out on the small things that are right in front of us when we try to maximize and do everything. Busyness, intended to make our lives richer and fuller, actually impoverishes our experience by blinding us to what’s already present.
The Insight
A quieter day doesn’t mean a less fruitful, rich, or enjoyable day. It’s just a simpler and more intentional day.
“In our slower days, we have the time, and the patience, to notice what at first seem like small sources of pleasure. As we appreciate them, we are able to realize how important and moving they really are—and how much we missed out on when, in our busier time, we tried to do everything.”
What Quieter Days Provide
In a simpler day, we can allow our mind to wander, and a sort of fog is lifted. As our body relaxes and our mind is soothed, we meditate on what we really want to do with our lives. In place of conventional aspirations, we might become sensitive to our own authentic ambitions.
The Resolution
The paradox resolves when we recognize that less can be more. By doing fewer things with more attention and presence, we experience life more richly than when we frantically try to maximize everything. The small pleasures we overlook in our busyness are often the very things that give life meaning and richness.
index A Simpler Life The fruitful simplicity of quieter days Living in the Present Moment Being Present and Mindful