Simplify: A Male Perspective

Tuesday, August 25, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra

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We have designated Tuesday as a day where we will have different women share “Moments & Memories” in their lives.

We plan to feature women from all walks of lives – it may be in the form of an interview or as a guest writer. The column on Tuesday will be centered around our word of the month. We’d love to feature you as a guest writer. Qualifications: No experience necessary…just be willing to share a great moment or memory with other women. Send us an email and we’ll schedule a date. Our guest writers do not necessarily have to have a website or a blog as we want iLashGirls to be a place where every woman has a voice!

Leigh Anne and Sherra say….

Today’s Moments & Memories post is a little different than normal – it is written by a man. Yes, we have another man on the blog! When we put out a request for guest posters Tim answered our email. His sister Teri has also been a guest poster here at iLashGirls.

We are excited to introduce Tim to you and to get a male perspective on our word of the month – Simplify. Welcome Tim!

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With two masters degrees in education, and educational technology, as well as 23 years of coaching at the high school level and teaching at the junior high, high school, and graduate college level, I enjoy sharing knowledge that might be useful to others. I also pride myself on my sarcastic wit, entertaining people with my humor just about everywhere I go. I wrote a weekly Top Ten List for over 10 years in a school district setting starting with a handful of friends and mushrooming out to 500+ malcontents who craved the weekly wit. In addition I have written a book on the life of at-risk students- a blend of comedy and tragedy.
I have over 20 years experience working with at-risk youth, running a program successfully for over a decade.
I am not afraid to laugh at myself and others in society in the process.

Favorite color: Crimson

Favorite food : Tuna Salad

Pet Peeve? List makers who realize they did something that wasn’t on their list of things to do….and after the fact, write it in and cross it out.

What is something that no one knows about you? (that you want to tell the whole internet world): That I am the main character of a novel by GM Ford

One word that describes you: Humorous

What’s your motto or mantra: I desperately want more self-esteem, but I don’t deserve it.

What are the top three things that are most important to you — the things you love to do and you are passionate about?

My Faith
My Family
My Friends, Fun, and Flexible Hours

The Complexity of Simplicity

Is it a contradiction to go into detail about simplicity? If so, I’ll try to keep it simple. Americans detest simplicity. Check out the number of garage sales in your neighborhood on any given weekend and view the clutter. Surrounding ourselves with “stuff” gives false comfort and complexity simultaneously. But the comfort is only temporary, until the new and improved becomes the old and ignored.

Our belongings aren’t the only area we complicate matters. New fad diets, giving education a facelift, ground breaking methods of self-help, these suggest that we cannot be satisfied with simple time tested methods as being enough. Relationships themselves are no stranger. Today, if a man doesn’t live up to every expectation, he is in obvious need of some training or upgrading. Likewise, it isn’t enough for a woman to balance her career and family responsibilities. She now must understand her man’s unspoken needs, while fighting global warming as well. It was inevitable that we would complicate relationships eventually.

And what of morality and integrity? We set the record for excuses and explanations trying to justify behavior that is less than upright. The fact of the matter is, those who are successful with their finances, relationships, business dealings, and integrity are successful because they have simplified.

So what is the solution of simplification?

Do not confuse simple with easy.

Operating from a set of a few basic core values allows people to make decisions that are simple. They may not be easy decisions to make, but WHICH decision to make is simple to choose when using the same set of core values to make every decision large or small.

When President Harry S. Truman left office on his last day, he went back inside the oval office after having exited for what he thought was the last time. When questioned about it later, he commented that upon leaving, he realized that he still had a pen that belonged in the oval office. With the core value of honesty, the decision was simple, though seemingly small.

Putting core values in place allows someone the freedom from clutter, an absence of excess, and the denial of “more is better”. A simple core value of “no shortcuts” will keep people from get rich quick schemes, the abdominizer 2000 for flat stomachs, shallow romances, and shady business practices.