Growing up in a society that values appearances, accomplishments, production and success, more than character, self-awareness and consciousness, creates a complicated external life. Career, money and ambition become center stage.
There is no time to benefit from what a simpler life can bring.

The two-week American vacation is hardly enough time to relax and contemplate such things. Just as the gears start to slow down enough to do so, we are back to work. So we just keep going, juggling our busy schedules, social obligations and belongings, and becoming ever more distant from ourselves.

Why is the beach so attractive to so many? I am taking a good look at that right now. I am on an island off the coast of Florida. There is nothing here but beach, water and sky.

I sleep and eat. I sit and walk. I relate with friends. I have been here three days. I talk less, listen more. My movement, my speech and my thoughts have slowed down.

As I meditate on this subject of simplicity, I see that as my outer life becomes more complex, my inner life gets buried and lost. With a rich inner life, it’s easy to keep daily life simple.

  It’s finding the right balance. For me, less is definitely more.