K.I.S.S. it better!

When life challenges or pains us, why not k.i.s.s. it better! By that I mean when looking for answers, solutions or reasons we ‘keep it ‘stupidly’, simple’.  I beleive the ‘Devil’ isn’t so much in the detail, but rather in ensuring we make things as complicated as possible!

Now before you scream ‘hippy claptrap’ or ‘easier said than done’, I am not suggesting that all we face in life can be resolved easily or pain-free, not at all. A very ‘simple’ solution, could be heart-breaking, or require putting the needs of the masses above that of the individual (something with which many struggle, esp. those in ‘power’). But the time is fast approaching when real choices need to be made, when ‘need’ will outrank ‘greed’ and then a more holistic approach will require stripping everything back, and applying straight-talking solutions.

When Nature flexes her might, even a little, we are all called to account; be it floods, droughts, blizzards or storms. Suddenly what really matters, as you are asked to evacuate your home, becomes self-explanatory – the living, our memories, those things that cannot be replaced. It is not a case of having to predetermine when you leave, where you will you go, what you will take or how long it will take. And suddenly the more you ‘have’ adds to an even greater feeling of loss. At these times it is clear, our needs are for a stable ‘home,’ a way of making a living, good basic infrastructure, reliable, effective and affordable energy.  And all these things we have had been able to access for millennia…yet somehow we have managed to over complicate the lot.

We build more homes in areas less suitable. We mis-mange land, we derive our energy from unstable, limited and dangerous sources whilst ignoring the most obvious resources and more importantly turn a blind eye to our overuse of energy. Rather than kissing ourselves better, we choose to slap, kick and punch our way through. As the recent storms in the West Country are close to my heart, I will use this as an example. First we have both created and built on flood plains – which in itself, managed correctly, can serve us well. Sadly though, despite simple solutions being presented to those in charge for years, ignorance prevailed and what would have once been a simple act of maintaining the waterways and flood defences, we have now got a far more complicated set of problems.

But even now we can kiss it better. Listen to the locals; they know the land, and their needs, best. We must engage in ‘positive planning before profit’, so we don’t unnecessarily expose ourselves to forces beyond our control, like flooding, or sink holes, landslides or storm damage. Get back to re-building the solid foundations, literally. Put in place the ways and means to maintain what is needed to avoid this in the future. And should the forces of nature be too strong then we must learn our lesson, even if it means leaving behind our possessions and starting over somewhere else.

In all our ills, we are both the problem and the solution. Is it really a case of too little, or are we just too many? Is it that we are too many in need, or is it the problem of a self-elected few who starve the rest with their selfish greed? The ‘bigger picture’ is reflected in all our own ‘little worlds’, so by starting with yourself, your family and your ‘tribe’, taking the steps to ensure harmony within, the ripples spread out and eventually to afford greater harmony all around. Solutions require we keep an open mind, that understands diversity and difference are necessary and appreciate that our world, though one giant tapestry, is woven of many threads.

Solutions therefore may vary, often greatly, across towns, cities and continents. This means there may be political, religious and social beliefs, with their own solutions that work well for some and not for others. We need to remember this and respect it. War today is not ideological, but based on control, we need to stay out of internal disputes, offer aide to the suffering yes, but that is all. In our desire to acquire, we have lost the ability to listen to our intuition, to discern when something is life enhancing or life limiting, it is that simple. As sentient beings we can ‘feel’ when something is not quite right – and it is that gut instinct that speaks to us all now and to which we ought to pay more attention.

When ‘money’ is not made an issue in a crisis, when we prize truth, respect and love above all else, when we seek to live in harmony with and not dominate all those around us and the forces of nature, then kissing our lives better will be all we need, for no matter what is thrown at us, or where we find ourselves, the simple solution will always present itself and we will have the courage and wisdom to see it through.

First published in More To Life (c) Kate Osborne, Solarus Ltd