Life Doesn't Have To Be This Complicated

Why do we insist on making it so damn difficult?

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Summer is in full swing and I have yet to do summery things like go to the farmer’s market, rent a boat, and have a glass of champagne with my husband on a rooftop. Why haven’t I done these things? Because I have kids. And kids, as all mothers know, have a special way of cramping your freedom. Nonetheless, “Because I have kids” is an excuse, and one I’m trying not to use so much.

Instead of going down the tired, roundabout conversation of, “A babysitter is expensive,” or “We’ll just wait until they’re older to do that,” I’m putting my foot down. I am not — never have been, never will be — someone who puts fun on hold.

Because the time to yolo is now. Enough of this “waiting for the right time” bullshit. There is no right time to do anything — whether you’re starting a business, having a baby, or going on vacation. We need to quit the excuses and the blame game and just do it already.

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That said, today’s newsletter is a friendly reminder to go after what you want in life, free of the shackles that society places upon us, fear being the main culprit.

You know how we see something adorable like how excited a little kid gets about chasing bubbles in the backyard — and we smile and ooh and awe and recite some rendition of, “Oh when life was simple…”

Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about simplicity as it applies to our modern day, and I’ve come to the conclusion that life can be that simple. We’ve just grown accustomed to stressing ourselves out with trying to acquire the perfect job, the perfect body, the perfect marriage, the perfect wardrobe, and the perfect social life, that we’ve lost track as to what (and whom!) makes us genuinely happy in life.

Put simply, we make life far more difficult than it has to be. And I refuse to play into this notion that “life is hard,” to which I encourage you to do the same. Life is how we view it. We choose our own happiness — or our own misery.

Here’s an example for you…

When I was living in Chicago, I worked as a talent director interviewing potential models and actors. I was in charge of 5 other employees and thought I was the shit because of it. While the office was small and quite manageable, the pressure I felt to perform was heavy. Due to my perfectionist nature (Virgos unite), I got myself so worked up that I gave myself a stress-induced stomach ulcer. Cute!

I remember sitting in the doctor’s office thinking, “I should just go be a receptionist at a hair salon…hair dressers are fun and full of personality and that’s the type of energy I want to be around.” The goal of course, was to be spending my days far less stressed so I could (gasp) enjoy my life instead of parading my “Office Director” title around thinking it made me important.

The point.

I’ve said it before and I will keep saying it until people get it:

I would rather be raking leaves for a living so long as I’m doing it with someone who makes me laugh, as opposed to working my dream job with a boss who is an egotistical prick.

We should be aspiring to have more fun in our every day with people who make us feel good rather than chasing titles we don’t necessarily want.

A little challenge for the remainder of your week? Pick one area of your life to live a little simpler. Perhaps it’s reducing your 5-step skincare routine to two steps. Maybe it’s doing laundry once a week instead of three, or simply choosing to come at your day with a lens of light and happiness instead of worry and humdrum.

Do report back!

Thank you for reading. See you next week.

Be you. A less helter skelter you.

Xo, Ash