Sterling Season

ELEGANT SIMPLICITY

The phrase "elegant simplicity" seems to appear over and over again.  It shows up in fashion: "her dress had an elegant simplicity"; in architecture: "the design had a modern elegant simplicity to it";   in science "Elegantly simple organizing principles seen in ribosomes"; in math: "the solution to the formula was elegantly simple"; and in life "Human happiness, true prosperity and joyful living can only emerge from a life of elegant simplicity."

But what is elegant simplicity.  Put another way how is it recognized. How do we achieve elegant simplicity. Stated succinctly, elegant simplicity presents itself to us in the form of solutions that  cut through the complexities and messiness that plague us and present in our mind's eye as a remarkably simple yet elegant solution.  The solution becomes so simple, so obvious,  that it makes elegant sense.  It is perhaps an "aha" moment in which we see something clearly where before it was an inconceivable jumble.  Sometimes, it represents a mastery over an objective problem, but more often it refers to our lives in that it represents a mastery over the problem of ourselves.  A life of elegant simplicity is one in which we have finally seen ourselves, in a true light,  a light that allows us to understand and see clearly our true person.  This understanding leads to an expression of ourselves through our actions, our words, our clothing, our love, our service, our careers, our religion -- in fact every aspect of our lives.

When we live a life of elegant simplicity we find a way to gracefully be in the world and with others.  As one author has noted in describing a graceful existence:

"It is made up of a poised and relaxed body, smooth and efficient motion, attentiveness, compassion. There is a contented silence to grace; it avoids what is loud and intrusive, and what offends the eye. . .Grace doesn’t make a fuss about itself, but it subtly warms and transforms the atmosphere. At its essence, grace is the transference of well-being from one who is calm and comfortable to those around them."

 Kaufman, Sarah L.  The Art of Grace: On Moving Well Through Life . W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.

The shoe and clothing company Cole Haan just released a video of New York City Ballet dancers elegantly dancing through pedestrians in the World Trade Center Transportation Hub.  You can see the video by clicking on the video link at the top of this post.  The video does a great job of artistically reminding us that as we move through life on an everyday basis we are expressing ourselves,  be that expression elegant or inelegant, our lives for better or for worse are expressions of ourselves.  To live a truly sterling life I hope to unlock elegantly simple solutions. Those solutions provide a key to knowing who I really am, so that I can gracefully present that person to the world.