Query: Digital Component

How can we keep simplicity in our minds outside of school?

Robert Brault once said, “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” He captures one of the main ideas of Simplicity. By simplifying your life, you are able to be present in the little moments that may seem unimportant to others. Keeping a simpler life requires a little bit of work and discipline.

Do you remember the last time your family had a pleasant, conversational dinner together; where you all sat down, talked about your day, and didn’t feel rushed to finish your meal because of other commitments? When was the last time your after school and weekend time was totally free; where you had nothing else to do except hang out with your friends? The best strategy to keep this type of lifestyle would be to create a filter inside of your mind; to prioritize the important things and the not-so-important things, and to have the ability to say “no”. With simplicity in mind, you have the power to control the amount of free time you have, inside and outside of school. This approach will further simplify your life.

Being simple is not an easy task. It requires lots of focus and determination in order to achieve a generally stress-free and meaningful way of life. This week’s query is: How can we keep simplicity in our minds outside of school?

Response to The Garden of Simplicity

I chose the idea of “The Garden of Simplicity”. I selected this because each of these ideas makes sense to me, and this is what I think simplicity is all about. For example, “Simplicity means placing the well-being of one’s family ahead of materialism and the acquisition of things.” The amount of money you spend on a pair of shoes or a new belt doesn’t matter nearly as much as the health and happiness of your family and yourself. Simplicity can have so many meanings, but in my opinion, this is one of the most important.

Another section of the Garden of Simplicity would be the Uncluttered Simplicity. I feel that this type of simplicity is perfect for the lives most of us are leading, as eighth graders, with our after-school activities, homework, and secondary school applications. This sort of simplicity encourages us to sit back and take a breather from the stress and complications we have in our lives.

Simplicity is a prominent aspect of the Quaker SPICES. It pushes us to dig deeper and think harder about its different meanings and interpretations. Every person has their own, unique idea on what simplicity means, and I believe that this Garden of Simplicity passage explains to us the many varieties simplicity can come in.

Homework 9/22

Read the simplicity packet.
Choose an idea from the packet and write about it.
Be sure to quote the article or passage you are referring to and make sure you cite your sources.
3 paragraph minimum.
Grammar and mechanics must be correct.

This I Believe

At Newtown Friends School, teachers begin educating us about tolerance even before we learn to read. They start by slowly introducing “the golden rule” and its importance in our daily lives. They then move on to the bigger, more universal topic called tolerance. I believe that tolerance is one of the main building blocks of a person’s core, and it drives us to act kindly towards others.

Between the grades of first and sixth, there was a girl who I was “friends” with. At times, she was really nice and funny, but most of the time, she followed me and argued with me about the smallest things. She was was nice to you, but would say bad things about you behind your back to your other friends. She was constantly finding something to disagree with me about, and when she finally did, she was usually the one to begin the argument. Often times, she wrapped up the argument by telling on me, in tears, and I was usually the one who was being blamed for making her cry. I would come home in tears out of frustration, confusion, and disappointment in myself. This happened almost every day, for nearly 4 out of our 6 years as “friends”.

This story ties into my thoughts on tolerance because of the way I reacted towards her. I did not yell, hit, or confront her about how confusing her behavior was. Although I struggled for a long time, I was finally able to express my feelings. This is how our teachers taught us to tolerate others. The golden rule is to treat others the way you would like to be treated. And that is exactly what I did. Although my method didn’t work very well (she never got over her obsession), I didn’t overreact or become un-composed.

Last year, we focused on the Quaker testimony of Community. As a community at Newtown Friends School, I believe that we should be tolerant of our peers. Although it can be difficult at times, it is a small step towards accepting others throughout the country, and then the world. This, I believe.