Less is More

As the years pass by, I had seen the economic status improving from scarcity to abundance in every walk of life. We are in the age of excess everything. However, the satisfaction of spending a fruitful day or the peacefulness of the mind when at scarce couldn’t be felt now. Many a times, I had realized that we were humble, empathetic, fast and productive in anything that we did. The abundance brings in ego along with a fake sense of pride and social status which are short lived. Here are my reflections on this topic… 

I recall my childhood days when the only mega shopping for the year we do was during Deepavali at Co-optex. That was the only occasion everything was bought from clothes, bed spreads to kerchief, within the festival advance my father used to get as a government servant. We buy a month ago, stitch them and eagerly wait for the day to wear. We probably would have had max two sets of school uniform, two sets of casual wear and two sets of decent clothes for any celebrations. From my school days, we planned our time to wash, iron and organize our needs for the next week by ourselves. Life has changed. Today it is anytime anywhere shopping and piling up of things that we may not have used even once. I don’t see the joy and sparking eyes when opening a new set of dress like before. A big chunk of weekend time goes in clearing the laundry and setting the wardrobe in order. I agree with Zuckerberg that it saves a lot of time when you limit the options to make choices. 

His bland outfits may seem dull, but Zuckerberg has a legitimate reason for donning the same T-shirt every day. He claims dressing in the same way allows him to focus his energy on more important decisions at work.

“I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community,” said Zuckerberg.

Courtesy: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/why-mark-zuckerberg-wears-the-same-clothes-to-work-everyday-a6834161.html

We I talk about bland outfits, it reminds me that my family and friends comment about my choice of bland food almost always. I can live contented with just curd rice, my all-time favourite. In our childhood, we ate homemade food, had less choices but it was so delicious that we cherish to this day. We had a lot of physical work and the food we consumed was just adequate. Obesity was uncommon in children. Every meal we ate together as a family sitting down with folded legs which gave flexibility to body. There was no concept of wasting food or throwing away excess food. Annam Brahma! The next day ‘pazhaya sadam’ (fermented rice) had rich nutrients to be energetic. I prefer eating in a small plate with smaller servings. This is a simple tip to eat less.

The book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life mentions the concept of 'hara hachi bu' wherein one eats only 80% of what would actually assuage his hunger. Hara hachi bun me, or hara hachi bu, is a Confucian teaching that instructs people to eat until they are 80 percent full.

In Tamil, there is a saying, “???????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????!” (even elixir turns poisonous when taken in excess)

The blessing of Tamil as my mother tongue is that we have Thirukkural which has the profound knowledge on any topic. One of my favourite Kural says food for the stomach can follow when there is no food for the ears. It is always wise to listen more and talk less. Silent moments alone can help to redefine oneself.

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Our major entertainment those days was listening to music. Melodies of maestro Ilayaraja are my all-time favourite. I had felt less is more in music as well. A few or no instruments in the back ground music could still make wonders. Almost people of my generation would have the same preferences. Even today, when I hear them hum those tunes, I am curious to notice their sparkling eyes and a smile in their faces. I know for sure they are reminiscing their golden days of life.

As I rewind the past, I loved the architecture and design of those traditional South Indian homes of my childhood. We had very less furniture in the home and a lot of free space around. Furniture was meant for use by elders and it was considered a disrespect sitting equal to them. Even today my dream home has a ?????? (swing) in the living room, ??? ??????? (courtyard),  ?????? (veranda in front of the house). What a simple, thoughtful and elegant design? Almost every home had a good collection of mesmerising Thanjavur paintings in the hall. Those homes are considered monuments today as we can’t afford to have such luxurious space in this era. 

When I think of minimalism in the design, it reminds me of Steve Jobs whose “extreme minimalistic” ideas brought in a design revolution. Jobs’ love of simplicity in design was honed when he became a practitioner of Buddhism.

“Zen was a deep influence,” said Daniel Kottke, a college friend who accompanied Jobs on the trip. “You see it in his whole approach of stark, minimalist aesthetics, intense focus.”

Courtesy: https://blog.usejournal.com/how-to-achieve-more-by-doing-less-steve-jobs-minimalist-approach-6a825165844f

Jack Welch one of the most popular CEOs in the world for his unpopular decisions, insisted that GE had to be number one or number two in every business they were in; meaning GE to be the leanest, lowest cost, worldwide producer of quality goods and services. His business strategy had the power of focus.

I’m in anguish when I hear of students committing suicide. Giving the minimum comforts a child needs help the parents to raise a responsible child. A lot of unnecessary things leads to distractions and they aren’t prepared for failures in life. Let them get used to denial and disappointments early in the life, such that as they grow will help them to develop the emotional balance. More than an enabler, today technology has become an obsession in the negative sense. It throws life out of gear for people across ages for not keeping it under their control. Without a need we buy too many gadgets eventually piling up the e-waste. Technology enriches life, no doubt! At the same time, too much of anything isn’t it bad?  I prefer working analogue so that I could capture the flow of my thoughts without distractions. The most impressive communications had simple, clear and concise content. 

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

It will be an overwhelming feeling to start a day with too many items on the to-do list. I had felt productive when the list had just 5 or less items. Finding the 25th hour of the day is possible, when the clutter is cleared. When the physical space is clean and kept organized with only a few essential things, I feel it also gives me free mind space. I have redefined my new year resolutions with a ‘what not to do’ list.

Good to Great author James C Collins in his blog DISCIPLINED ACTION: THE “STOP DOING” LIST says,

The real path to greatness, it turns out, requires simplicity and diligence. It requires clarity, not instant illumination. It demands each of us to focus on what is vital—and to eliminate all of the extraneous distractions.

Courtesy: https://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.html

There is an English proverb: “He who chases two hares, catches none”. It means that when you chase too many priorities, at your peril and you’ll often end up doing nothing!

 “If everyone has the same number of hours in a day, why do some people seem to get so much more done than others?” It's realizing that extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus.

Courtesy: https://yourstory.com/2013/09/the-one-thing-focus-two-rabbits-one-rabbit?utm_pageloadtype=scroll

Many a times I had a déjà vu that I was a Japanese in my past birth. I have an obsession for Japanese culture and principles. It looks so simple at the outset, however needs a lot of self-discipline to follow through. The concepts of lean and 5S could be applied anywhere to keep things in order. How much time we could save and be productive?

Only things that you don’t have to restrict yourself is knowledge and charity. Even there “Less is More”. You are more fulfilled by giving just a little. The quality of someone’s life can be determined by the quantity of people in their funeral.  

In conclusion, I am not trying to say old was good and new is bad. Being a nature lover, I wish we design and consume our products for a circular economy. It is everyone’s responsibility to leave a better planet for generations to come. 

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The prosperity of him who lives without knowing the measure (of his property), will perish, even when it seems to continue.

In continuation to my previous blog – Tapas, I feel simplicity isn’t simple. Practising minimalism needs mindfulness and contentedness.  You don’t have to be a monk to be simple, in my opinion. When you buy anything next time, pause for a moment to check are you buying for need or for status? 

Book: The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything

The new skill I’m striving to develop is “subtraction” which will help me to become a more matured person to make wise choices. I’m not there yet !!! The irony is, this article turned out to be lengthy!!!