going beyond complexity to simplicity

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complex." - Confucius

We all grew up in a simple world. But as we move on in life, we forget the simplicity of our being which holds the power to move mountains. Websters defines simplicity as the state of being simple, uncomplicated; freedom from pretense or guile, directness of expression. We like simplicity. That's what we all strive for. Yet, we somehow complicate things, thereby making it difficult to attain & achieve simplicity. We keep embracing complexity. It's like moving from simplicity to complexity and then trying to make it simple again. Isn't that ironical?! We complicate our world with complex outlook, perspectives, thought patterns thereby complicating our relationships, our life & everything in it. The funniest part is, we derive pleasure when we find solutions to these self-created complexities. It's like rewiring, unwinding and again rewiring. Complexity in today's world is used as a parameter to sound more smart & credible.  

The great leader, Steve Job's main mantras were: FOCUS & SIMPLICITY. In fact, simplicity is a great leadership tool. The common belief is that the more complex we are, the more sophisticated we become. Hence, our focus lies in turning simple things to complex words, acronyms, policies, instructions, procedures that no one really understands & relates to. But, the truth is the other we round. Simplicity is the key to brilliance. As quoted in Harvard Business Review, over a three-month period, Corporate Executive Board conducted pre- and post-purchase surveys of more than 7,000 consumers in the U.S., the UK, and Australia, covering a wide range of ages, income levels, and ethnicity. And what was discovered post this survey was, what consumers want from marketers is, simply, SIMPLICITY. That's all. 

Here's a TEDx Talk by cartoonist and writer Ramya Sriram illustrating the power of 'less is more' in visual communication. Click here for the TEDx Talk link www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0uvcM29Crc. 
Simplicity is complexity resolved. So, there's no reason to complicate but ease down. Using minimalism, purposeful subtraction & consciously choosing what to leave out is the key. 

Love. Priyanka