K.I.S.S.

My lawyer is a tremendously proficient and formally polite man in his sixties. I was anxious during a long real estate transaction some years ago and called him with a convoluted question, based on some dubious information I had garnered from the Web. His response shocked me, "Paul, I'm going to give you a kiss."

"A kiss?" I said with obvious conflict in my voice. "Yes, a K.I.S.S. ... Keep It Simple, Stupid." He then explained he had acquired the acronym in the U.S. Navy. 

The world's complexity and the complexity of my own human mind sometimes wrap me up in a tangle of considerations, facts, worries. However, this does not help the situation I am facing. Keeping it simple often entails taking a deep breath and sitting in a quiet space. In human relationships, keeping it simple means focusing on the loving and peaceful thing to do, despite the internal complexity of my reactions. 

If I proceed through life with a benign smile and an open mind from situation to situation, my life becomes simpler. I do not practice insincerity, but I have found that silence is preferable to reactionary criticism. Anger   explored in solitude is better than anger ranted at others. Sadness is better aired than swallowed or denied. The generous sharing of joy is always welcomed. If I continue to breath deeply, I remain relaxed in difficult situations. Doing these simple things often unravels the complex.  

My humanist practice is the development and implementation of healthy ways of living within the context of society. Being healthy, intellectually and physically, enables me to be mindful and compassionate. It is that simple.