“Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.”
~ Isaac Newton
I was hunting for a quote to go with today’s photo and came across a number of articles with multiple recipes for different ways to enjoy Swiss chard.
It got me thinking about a couple of experiences this week when I was reminded there is always something bigger, better, fancier, with more bells and whistles—and how I’m most often satisfied without them.
It’s fun to experiment and try new things sometimes, nothing wrong with dreaming either, but a mindset focused on ‘bigger, better, newer, fancier’ can steal my joy and rob me of my contentment. The seemingly infinite variety of options and choices can paralyze me into indecision and add a level of stress I don’t want or need in my life.
I return to the basics: good quality, priced within my means, functional not fancy, long-term and not disposable. Food: fresh and local, flavourful, nutritious, relatively quick and easy to prepare.
Simple.
This is the criteria my parents and grandparents used when the abundance and choice that are commonplace for us didn’t exist. With these filters in place choices become easier; what matters becomes clearer.
I’ll continue to enjoy my Swiss chard raw in a salad, or chopped and added to a soup or casserole. That’s good enough for me.
I find that when I’m always looking at the next thing it robs me of the moments. It’s great to have immediate access to information via the web but it doesn’t allow for now, for slow, for simple.
I think – most times – basic is better.