Simplify, simplify, simplify

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.

 Henry David Thoreau

I'd come across this quote many years ago and it has stuck with me ever since. There are times when I come back to those simple words and once again seek out their wisdom. I believe it applies to various planes of life, be it work, relationships, reading books or deciding upon clothes, or anything else.

Through the years, I've found that I feel very uneasy about having more than two --and ideally just one --ongoing projects at work. And since I know what's good both for me and my clients, I rarely take on a third project at any given time. I know that it's better for me to feel accomplished after a project is done and I feel I've given it my best than to earn more money on lots of simultaneous jobs that I'm working on only half-heartedly. Simple.

In relationships, I like to make things simple and clear firstly by staying honest to my close ones and secondly by being warm and caring and patient. I believe it makes managing everything a lot easier than hiding my emotions and getting angry. I do admit it is hard sometimes to get things off my chest but I also know my friends and family to be open minded and as patient about me, as I am about them so that makes it possible to work out any problems that might occur.

When I was younger, I used to read many books at a time. I remember trying to get involved in a few stories at a time and getting lost in images and feelings. Now I cut it down to one. I give it my best, submerge myself in a story and enjoy it thoroughly. Btw., I'm currently reading "Stiller" by Max Frisch and I really like how it is a lot of smaller fairy tale-like stories within a bigger, deeply psychological story.

As for clothing, the first and foremost thing that I appreciate about simplifying is that it has helped me find a style that I feel is my own. My style per se might not be considered simple --I don't suspect flared skirts and patterned dresses feel like simplified style to anyone. There are wonderful bloggers who have made their minimalistic style pure perfection (like, for example, Ela from Dressed, Not Dressed Up) so if you want to know what simplicity in style is, go see their blogs. In my case, though, a decision to stick to a certain style has made it simple for me to know what I want to wear and what I feel best in. I don't need to experiment anymore. I don't have to look for trends to show me the way. I know what I like.

That's why I know that this checkered shirt will go well with a black dress when I tie it at my waist. It's such a basic style and still so telling. I feel a bit like when I was a teen, listened to heavy metal, wore heavy shoes and everything was black except those those wonderfully friendly and comfy checkered flannel shirts. So this is my teenage self brought up a little to suit my more feminine needs of today.

I'm curious about your way of doing things. Do you tend to simplify the life around you or do you prefer to find your own paths in a complicated world?

Dress: Camaieu 
Shirt: thrifted 
Flats: Tamaris via Ambra