There are many occasions when things don’t go as we expect. We keep asking “Why” – “Why me?”, “Why did I not get that?”, “Why did I lose my job?” or “Why am I not losing weight?”. As we wallow in our misery, we think “something is missing”. We think we can make things better by doing something new, trying something different – “only if I had something more”. We take on more work, more possessions, more friends, more responsibilities, more hobbies — more, more and more!
More often than not, we don’t realise that we are in this situation because of a decision we made or because of a series of choices we’ve made. When we look back and reflect on our journey, we may see what has brought about to where we are right now and subsequently we come to the realisation that instead of adding something, subtracting something instead will bring about the change we desire. Instead of overthinking and making things complex, the KISS principle stresses on Keeping It Simple!
Here are three simple ways we can start to KISS!
- Subtract negative talk
- “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
- Subtract an unproductive habit
- Add more time to your day by reducing screen time
- Add more years to your life by cutting junk food, addictions
- Subtract a draining obligation (work, relationships…)
- Increase happiness by distancing yourself from toxic people
To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract every day
Lao Tzu
Start small, start simple…look within, subtract the superfluous and make room for yourself to grow into the best version of yourself!
Kenrick Vaz 