Keep It Simple

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You often hear the directive "keep it simple, stupid" (K.I.S.S.) voiced by those in recovery. What does this mean? For me, it means I have a tendency to over-analyze everything, to intellectualize, and to make things more complicated than they actually are. This admonition to K.I.S.S. is telling me not to do so. Casey (1991, "Each Day a New Beginning," p. for August 15 meditation) tells us: "How terribly complicated we choose to make life's many questions....Our need to make all things perfect, to know all the answers, to control everything within our range, creates problems where none really exist. And the more we focus on the problem we've created, the bigger it becomes." The is true for me, as I have found the longer I obsess about a problem and the more energy I poor into worrying about it, the bigger the problem becomes....at least in my mind. I have also learned fear motivates me to try to understand and control everything so I won't have to worry about unknown outcomes.

I have learned if I have and act on faith that my higher power will handle things, then my fear is lessened or dissipated. After all, if God is handling my problem, I don't have to worry about handling it myself or doing so perfectly. I don't have to control things to be safe; I can relax and let God control things and keep me safe. Accepting everything is in God's hands is essential for me to be able to relax and "keep things simple."

In addition, inner stress and tension caused by worrying about a specific problem can be lessened just by re-directing our thoughts elsewhere. By moving our focus, we no longer compound the problem ( Casey, 1991). Such an abrupt "re-direction" is possible if one believes "with God all things are possible."

Sometimes, however, I think my "over-analysis" is just my complicated and "intellectually acceptable" way of postponing taking action and responsibility myself. Thus, my prolonged analysis can turn into procrastination while simultaneously preventing me from asking God to intervene and work with me on the problem. If I ask God to help me try to solve a problem and then keep worrying about how "I" am going to solve it, I am once again living in an "addictive pattern" because I am still stuck in "self-driven living" rather than in "God-driven living." This type of behavior is not new to those of us with addictions; we often asked God to take away our addiction while we continued to drink or use.

My guess is everyone, not just alcoholics and addicts, has at one time or another exhibited this type of behavior. How many of you have asked God to help you stop drinking coffee or smoking cigarettes while you continued to drink coffee and smoke? How many of you have asked God to help you "go on a diet" and then indulged in a scrumptious "last meal?"

We are all human. We all need to "keep it simple" and let God help us. It is a relief to know you don't have to "drive the bus" or "direct the play"-----those responsibilities are in God's hands. We just need to leave them there.

Please comment and share your thoughts about what it means to "keep it simple" in your life. God bless and keep you.