Sometimes, perhaps more often than not, the solution to life’s problems is just to do the basics, the simple thing. Some many times in our personal life or work life we make the decision to pursue complicated, crooked, and downright horrible paths when all along we could have just done the simple easy way and all would have been better.
I told my son the other day, and I think I meant it, my best advice is to just get the basics done right and do not do really stupid things to jack up your life and you will probably be ok. Bad stuff happens, accidents, illness, natural calamities. Life is challenging enough just doing the basic things, I wonder why we as humans insist on bringing in all the extra crap?
I was thinking about this today as we talked over lunch about cool ideas for making things awesome at my work. I always want to look for the revolutionary concept that will light the world on fire. However, perhaps, I need to just recognize that doing the basics well is perhaps the most revolutionary concept of all.
Learn a great skill, do well at a good job, dedicate yourself to helping a significant person in your life (aka spouse), raise some kids and contribute in some meaningful way to your society. Just basic stuff. Why does life have to be any more complicated than that? Well, I am sure there are deviations that are necessary for one reason or another, but the long story short is just to keep to the simple, easy to follow path. Life is hard enough without introducing a bunch of radical twists and turns.
Guy Reams
