“Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.”

As the son of a high school English teacher, I often heard famous quotations or lines of poetry mentioned in passing by my mother. In this case, my mother hung a decoration in our living room showcasing this quote. In retrospect, I actually read this quote every day of my childhood as it hung above our television. It occasionally came up in conversation and my mom would talk about what it meant to her and why she hung it on the wall. “Life is less stressful and more enjoyable if we keep it simple” she said. She would tell me about Thoreau’s famous novel, Walden, and how he spent years isolated in the woods to unclutter his life and focus on his personal growth. I have to agree with my mom and Thoreau. I do my best to focus on the important things in my life and not create undue stress if it is not necessary.