Advice | rfljenksy – Practicing Simplicity

I love this post I found at Techie Princesa as it really simplifies what I try to do and how I try to be on a daily basis. My problem is largely that I have the habit of using too many words to express ideas like this.

Missing somebody?…………….Call
Wanna meet up?………………..Invite
Wanna be understood?………Explain
Have questions?…………………Ask
Don’t like something?………..Say it
Like something?…………………State it
Want something?……………….Ask for it
Love someone?………………….Tell it

Why Complicate Life? (http://eof737.wordpress.com/)
Why Complicate Life? (http://techieprincesa.wordpress.com/)
Simplify Now, Before TEOTWAWKI, by M.D.M. (survivalblog.com)
Summer Tour Day 10 Simplify 101 (scrapbookladypages.com)
Simplify your Life (utesmile.wordpress.com)

“But what I thought, and what I still think, and always will, is that she saw me. Nobody else has ever seen me — me, Jenny Gluckstein — like that. Not my parents, not Julian, not even Meena. Love is one thing — recognition is something else.”
― Peter S. Beagle, Tamsin

Today was an amazing day for me. All of my life people have come to me for advice. I give it. I am ignored. This has been a consistent part of my existence.

I have raised two lovely daughters who I have given advice to for many years. It would be a low end guess to say that 90% of it has been ignored. Co-workers, friends and other family have approached me for advice ranging from career choices, money matters, relationship advice and other moral dilemmas that I have given away hours through counseling and consoling efforts only to have EVERY course of action advised squashed like a little bug.

I have been successful in several different career paths. I have been in charge of large groups of people in critical decision making situations and managed to lead and follow when appropriate with no damages resulting. If I do say so myself, I am quite incredible in my ability to usually be correct. However, my correctness is usually never mentioned and most of my advice is largely ignored.

What is my point? Today is my point. Vindication.

A friend who has been trying to learn Spanish ate lunch with me today and shared with me a short story. It went something like this:

Yeah, today I had to give some keys to a vender who only spoke Spanish. I didn’t think I could do it. Then I thought to myself, “What Would Sam Do? She would just say something and not worry about whether or not she was understood.” So I just forged ahead and said what I had to say in Spanish, I’m not sure if I said the right things in the right way, but I did it and I think they understood me. They repeated what I said and I just said “Si!” and walked away.

I get it that this was not a major victory or real proof of anything about my abilities to be right or even about my ability to communicate in a different language. Sure sometimes this “just do it” mentality gets me into some crazy situations. However, it is how I have managed to keep things simple and accomplish so much. None of that is really the point either. The point is someone used the phrase “WWSD?” I’m convinced no one has ever used that phrase before and possibly no one will use it again…but today? Yes, today, this phrase made my day. It really is the little things that matter.