Something So Simple
Hi and Welcome to the A & J PEI Treasures E Jean Simpson Author Blog Post and Podcast. I’m your host, Jean coming to you from the beautiful Province of Prince Edward Island, Canada!! The blog post and podcast is an opinion piece and only reflects this author’s opinion and not that of any other entity. I hold no designations in politics, economics or medicine. I am retired from the mental health field. I am a humanitarian and speak from that viewpoint only. Whether you agree with me or not, at least I hope it makes you think. This week I talk about the need to ‘smell the roses along the way’ and why sometimes I feel the need for a little more simplicity in life. If you want to find out more, then stay tuned…!
I’ve been trying to come up with a blog post topic as is my custom on Wednesdays and it suddenly occurred to me that I’m missing the simple angle. Life has gotten complicated by all the daily stuff. It’s been complicated by lack in tolerance and the everyday battles as we continue to try to move forward with the cacophony of voices that try to send us flying off our paths. Some are positive, some are negative and some just want to create some disharmony. As Dale Carnegie is credited with saying, “We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.” Today’s walk with the dog, I focused on the flowers. I took pictures and enjoyed their beauty. I find it most satisfying to be out in the summer, despite the mosquitoes and just enjoying nature. It is the most simple, yet complex joy one can experience. People are so bound by convention and by the rules of the society to which they belong that they tend to miss the beauty that is around them every day. It comes in many forms, a flower, a smile, even a flash of memory. I think our computerized era has lost something important which is experiencing our own senses and life. It makes for less connecting on the human level, though we don’t comprehend it. We tend to be so busy trying to be something or do something that we fail to see what is right in front of our eyes. Nature is beautiful and soothing. So many different colours and shapes and scents are involved. We miss the multitude of levels that make up life while trying to make a life. We miss the various levels of existence and the beauty of our daily life and the life around us. It is this concept of everything as sacred that would help lead us away from the intolerance and prejudices that we see on social media, in the media in general and follows where ever we go.
I was rather surprised to see how many different articles try to tell you how to enjoy life more. After having read through a few, I found myself feeling annoyed. They literally sound like fortune cookies. Meet new people, push past your comfort level. These are all things that just continue to push for things that are attainable, but don’t give you much room to find joy in the most simple of things both within and outside of oneself. I don’t argue their importance in life as those ideals have importance too. I just was hoping to find something more and perhaps I didn’t do the right search for what I was looking for. Perhaps I am trying to oversimplify. But, for me, walking outside and sitting in the outside allows one to experience self-hood. It allows one to experience spiritual insignificance of self. Yes insignificance. Significance is what everyone feels they have to obtain. Here is the reason I rather experience insignificance, with the earth and all its many inhabitants, there are so many, so varied and all different that you see yourself as but one part of the whole and not the whole. It allows one to become humbler. There is so much going on around you in the world that you can become one with the surroundings. You can smell the flowers; hear the sound of the hummingbirds zooming back and forth to the feeder and any number of things going on with insects and other creatures. They are all part of the microcosm and macrocosm that is the natural world. You can hear the song of the wind whispering through the branches, the birds chirping and singing. There is a ritual to nature that few stop to see. Every year Nature gives life to the same flowers. They are different flowers from the previous year, but the same types of flowers so at the same time both old and also fresh and new. I wait for each flower to come out and make its grand and beautiful appearance. I find myself taking pictures to immortalize them and excited to greet each new blossom and new flower and breathe in the scent of the ones that have scents. I accept each new gift that I find…whether it is new blossoms, the message from the feathers, butterflies or insects. Each one has its own position and its own place in nature just as human life has its own gifts and challenges. In nature, no one entity is better than another, just different from. People are part of nature and yet they forget this. Many don’t realize that they too are special and beautiful. It might be part of human nature to judge ourselves and for some reason; it is seldom a positive thing. No matter how far along the path we are, there are still things that can trigger self-doubt. We are human and that is part of the package.
I think the other thing that so much social media has created is a divide from nature and its beauty. There appears to be an ever increasing number of political and social issues that take up our attention. The lack of tolerance for others makes me wonder if intolerance may be a symptom of the larger problem which is that society has shut itself off from each other as well as nature. Now, the addition of AI could result in the potential for creating fake relationships as it can actually make conversations with people. Though it is given glowing reviews from some AI authorities…increased access to information being one of the cited benefits, https://www.3dbear.io/blog/the-impact.... I also have some concerns that there are also downsides to the whole enterprise. No one even has touched the fact that people are chatting with AI rather than interacting with humans in some cases. It does have its potential uses in helping people to move forward and create accessibility. On the other hand, it can be a double edged sword. There are both potential benefits and costs to this. It does concern me that there may be a continued downswing in human relations. This article talks about some other negative potential outcomes. https://www.liberties.eu/en/stories/d.... I don’t know and don’t pretend to know if AI is good or bad, but we do need to be aware of potential benefits and potential costs in order to harness it and not have it harness us.
There are far more complexities with social media than we are aware of and more are coming to light daily. The constant judgment of looks, religion, orientation and other such factors can be exhausting. The best summary of the ideal I am looking for is this statement attributed to Buddha, "If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would change." Life isn’t about the overall journey but is part of it. Life is about every single perfect moment and can be embodied in one single flower or one single moment. It is about every single bloom as it comes. It is about every one you love, care for and nurture in some way. Life is about living and living is about life. The world is a beautiful place when one looks at it. Everything is a miracle or can be and we are only limited by what we are willing to understand. As Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited with saying, "Love is like wildflowers; it's often found in the most unlikely places." This is also true of finding peace within yourself. It is part of becoming ones best self and the peace that can come from within. It allows for sharing, it allows for tolerating and it can simplify life. At the same time, it is not ever perfect and there will be bumps in that path as well.
It really isn’t an incomprehensible concept to think that finding some peace in oneself and in our ever changing world can be found in nature and we can learn from our natural world. I found an article citing a study that took some of this into account. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/arti.... The researcher, “Fagley is still researching how best to practice appreciation on a day-to-day-basis, she says. But for starters, she suggests that people focus on and value what they have, spend time outdoors, and reflect on their blessings and relationships with others.” The researcher suggests that “The challenge in fostering appreciation,” she says, “is that we want to periodically reflect on the positive aspects of our lives, value our friends and family, relish and savor the good times—without the practice of reflection becoming a rote habit or something that is taken for granted.” This argues for the necessity to grow closer to nature and nurture. Either or both have the potential to be life altering. This is something to be mindful of. I think it can be important to the quest to become a more rounded and happier human. There is magic out there. It’s called by different names. Sometimes we’re too busy living and making a life to notice it. That’s what makes it important to take even a little time to see the miracles in your everyday life. Seeing the little things as well as the bigger picture can give hope and gives strength to continue to work toward making this a better world.
As Christian D. Larson is credited with saying, “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” It is this message that the universe sends to me sometimes and that I choose to share this week. Sometimes I listen and sometimes I don’t. Accepting what comes from the world both known and unknown is what can enrich our lives. Life is not always easy, but sometimes it’s just the perfect moments that makes the magic in our lives. Whether you agree with me or not, I hope it makes you think. Thanks for listening to my podcast and/or reading my blog post and thanks for your interest in A & J PEI Treasures! Keep watching because we’re always working on something. Thank you!
The podcast that matches this blog post can be found on Anchor FM: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh...
Blog Posts are available on
WordPress: https://aandjpeitreasures.wordpress.com/ and
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Podcast are available on:
Anchor FM in a variety of formats: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh...
iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-e-...
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/e-... name a few
All my e-books can be found on:
Smashwords (my Affiliate link): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...
You can also find us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EJS08026749
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5zp...
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/ej2466
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/e-j-s-151a...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewAandJP...
I’ve been trying to come up with a blog post topic as is my custom on Wednesdays and it suddenly occurred to me that I’m missing the simple angle. Life has gotten complicated by all the daily stuff. It’s been complicated by lack in tolerance and the everyday battles as we continue to try to move forward with the cacophony of voices that try to send us flying off our paths. Some are positive, some are negative and some just want to create some disharmony. As Dale Carnegie is credited with saying, “We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.” Today’s walk with the dog, I focused on the flowers. I took pictures and enjoyed their beauty. I find it most satisfying to be out in the summer, despite the mosquitoes and just enjoying nature. It is the most simple, yet complex joy one can experience. People are so bound by convention and by the rules of the society to which they belong that they tend to miss the beauty that is around them every day. It comes in many forms, a flower, a smile, even a flash of memory. I think our computerized era has lost something important which is experiencing our own senses and life. It makes for less connecting on the human level, though we don’t comprehend it. We tend to be so busy trying to be something or do something that we fail to see what is right in front of our eyes. Nature is beautiful and soothing. So many different colours and shapes and scents are involved. We miss the multitude of levels that make up life while trying to make a life. We miss the various levels of existence and the beauty of our daily life and the life around us. It is this concept of everything as sacred that would help lead us away from the intolerance and prejudices that we see on social media, in the media in general and follows where ever we go.
I was rather surprised to see how many different articles try to tell you how to enjoy life more. After having read through a few, I found myself feeling annoyed. They literally sound like fortune cookies. Meet new people, push past your comfort level. These are all things that just continue to push for things that are attainable, but don’t give you much room to find joy in the most simple of things both within and outside of oneself. I don’t argue their importance in life as those ideals have importance too. I just was hoping to find something more and perhaps I didn’t do the right search for what I was looking for. Perhaps I am trying to oversimplify. But, for me, walking outside and sitting in the outside allows one to experience self-hood. It allows one to experience spiritual insignificance of self. Yes insignificance. Significance is what everyone feels they have to obtain. Here is the reason I rather experience insignificance, with the earth and all its many inhabitants, there are so many, so varied and all different that you see yourself as but one part of the whole and not the whole. It allows one to become humbler. There is so much going on around you in the world that you can become one with the surroundings. You can smell the flowers; hear the sound of the hummingbirds zooming back and forth to the feeder and any number of things going on with insects and other creatures. They are all part of the microcosm and macrocosm that is the natural world. You can hear the song of the wind whispering through the branches, the birds chirping and singing. There is a ritual to nature that few stop to see. Every year Nature gives life to the same flowers. They are different flowers from the previous year, but the same types of flowers so at the same time both old and also fresh and new. I wait for each flower to come out and make its grand and beautiful appearance. I find myself taking pictures to immortalize them and excited to greet each new blossom and new flower and breathe in the scent of the ones that have scents. I accept each new gift that I find…whether it is new blossoms, the message from the feathers, butterflies or insects. Each one has its own position and its own place in nature just as human life has its own gifts and challenges. In nature, no one entity is better than another, just different from. People are part of nature and yet they forget this. Many don’t realize that they too are special and beautiful. It might be part of human nature to judge ourselves and for some reason; it is seldom a positive thing. No matter how far along the path we are, there are still things that can trigger self-doubt. We are human and that is part of the package.
I think the other thing that so much social media has created is a divide from nature and its beauty. There appears to be an ever increasing number of political and social issues that take up our attention. The lack of tolerance for others makes me wonder if intolerance may be a symptom of the larger problem which is that society has shut itself off from each other as well as nature. Now, the addition of AI could result in the potential for creating fake relationships as it can actually make conversations with people. Though it is given glowing reviews from some AI authorities…increased access to information being one of the cited benefits, https://www.3dbear.io/blog/the-impact.... I also have some concerns that there are also downsides to the whole enterprise. No one even has touched the fact that people are chatting with AI rather than interacting with humans in some cases. It does have its potential uses in helping people to move forward and create accessibility. On the other hand, it can be a double edged sword. There are both potential benefits and costs to this. It does concern me that there may be a continued downswing in human relations. This article talks about some other negative potential outcomes. https://www.liberties.eu/en/stories/d.... I don’t know and don’t pretend to know if AI is good or bad, but we do need to be aware of potential benefits and potential costs in order to harness it and not have it harness us.
There are far more complexities with social media than we are aware of and more are coming to light daily. The constant judgment of looks, religion, orientation and other such factors can be exhausting. The best summary of the ideal I am looking for is this statement attributed to Buddha, "If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would change." Life isn’t about the overall journey but is part of it. Life is about every single perfect moment and can be embodied in one single flower or one single moment. It is about every single bloom as it comes. It is about every one you love, care for and nurture in some way. Life is about living and living is about life. The world is a beautiful place when one looks at it. Everything is a miracle or can be and we are only limited by what we are willing to understand. As Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited with saying, "Love is like wildflowers; it's often found in the most unlikely places." This is also true of finding peace within yourself. It is part of becoming ones best self and the peace that can come from within. It allows for sharing, it allows for tolerating and it can simplify life. At the same time, it is not ever perfect and there will be bumps in that path as well.
It really isn’t an incomprehensible concept to think that finding some peace in oneself and in our ever changing world can be found in nature and we can learn from our natural world. I found an article citing a study that took some of this into account. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/arti.... The researcher, “Fagley is still researching how best to practice appreciation on a day-to-day-basis, she says. But for starters, she suggests that people focus on and value what they have, spend time outdoors, and reflect on their blessings and relationships with others.” The researcher suggests that “The challenge in fostering appreciation,” she says, “is that we want to periodically reflect on the positive aspects of our lives, value our friends and family, relish and savor the good times—without the practice of reflection becoming a rote habit or something that is taken for granted.” This argues for the necessity to grow closer to nature and nurture. Either or both have the potential to be life altering. This is something to be mindful of. I think it can be important to the quest to become a more rounded and happier human. There is magic out there. It’s called by different names. Sometimes we’re too busy living and making a life to notice it. That’s what makes it important to take even a little time to see the miracles in your everyday life. Seeing the little things as well as the bigger picture can give hope and gives strength to continue to work toward making this a better world.
As Christian D. Larson is credited with saying, “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” It is this message that the universe sends to me sometimes and that I choose to share this week. Sometimes I listen and sometimes I don’t. Accepting what comes from the world both known and unknown is what can enrich our lives. Life is not always easy, but sometimes it’s just the perfect moments that makes the magic in our lives. Whether you agree with me or not, I hope it makes you think. Thanks for listening to my podcast and/or reading my blog post and thanks for your interest in A & J PEI Treasures! Keep watching because we’re always working on something. Thank you!
The podcast that matches this blog post can be found on Anchor FM: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh...
Blog Posts are available on
WordPress: https://aandjpeitreasures.wordpress.com/ and
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Podcast are available on:
Anchor FM in a variety of formats: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh...
iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-e-...
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/e-... name a few
All my e-books can be found on:
Smashwords (my Affiliate link): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...
You can also find us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EJS08026749
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5zp...
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/ej2466
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/e-j-s-151a...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewAandJP...
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A & J PEI Treasures/E Jean Simpson, BEd, BA, MA
A & J PEI Treasures is located on Prince Edward Island, Canada. We are a husband and wife team and our companion animals. There are a number of things that drew us to the Island…one of which was the n
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