Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.
I remember reading the first line of that quote several years ago. It was on a picture at a department store and I remember thinking, "Wow. That makes a lot of sense." I didn't take action on what I read at that moment but that quote has stuck with me. Since that moment I recognize more and more how much of my life was consumed by details. Slowly I have worked to reduce details and concentrate more on what God has before me.
I must admit, I believe this will be a big lesson I will learn more of. We recently sold our house and moved into an apartment. During the 13 years I have lived in Lexington, I have moved five times. The last three times we moved, our living space got smaller. In 2006 we moved from a 3000 square foot house to a 1900 square foot townhouse. In 2007, we moved from that 1900 square foot townhouse to a 1600 square foot house. This week we moved out of the 1600 square foot house to a 1450 square foot apartment. We have discovered that the extra 150 to 200 square feet of living space makes a difference, even though we don't own a lot of stuff. The move has caused us to really evaluate what we own and what we choose to keep. We are reducing the amount of detail we keep around us.
I am also looking forward to living a life without lots of detail around me. I am a high-capacity person and have spent a large portion of my life doing lots of things. I believe that I am now in a place physically and with life that will reduce the number of details around me. It will be simple things like smaller space to clean, no lawn to care for, and we can call maintenance for any issues that may occur. I know those sound trivial but I really think this will help me best align with what God has called me to. I will get to invest in my daughter more, learn how to date my husband again, focus on finishing a master's degree, and seek out ways God wants us to advance in financial freedom. I'm really excited to have less details to manage and to see what God has ahead.
