It's an effort to remember the simple things, but well worth it

After spending a good bit of time contemplating what I ought to write about this month, I realized I was going to be stumped. A compelling topic seemed to be out of reach.

I went about my normal Friday evening tasks, started into Saturday, and it still looked like Beaufort Neighbors was going to be looking a bit skinny this week. But then, as I thought about my day and how nothing really jumped out at me as inspiration, I realized, "That's it."

That's just what ought to be inspiring at times … regular life, better known as "the simple things."

I had a conversation recently with a couple of very important personal advisors. During that conversation, I realized that I was probably missing advice that has been whispered to me over and over for quite some time. Pay more attention to the simple things in life.

There are those reading this who are howling with laughter … because they know me! My wife and I are big-time type-A personalities, who say "no" to precious little (like writing this article a week early.) But type-As can still look at life through the slow-motion lens at times.

With four young children and three paying jobs between the two of us, our slow motion is admittedly different than most, but we do take time to sneak a whiff of the blooming tea olive or jasmine every so often. Our family life is filled with simple chaos at times, but we hold each other accountable to keep things in perspective.

How then to describe the simple things that we should enjoy? Well, they can range from a pancake breakfast to the delicious porter I'm enjoying to a paddle through our marshes to a family movie.

Whatever it happens to be, we are blessed to have our magnificent Lowcountry home as breathtaking backdrop for the everyday drama that unfolds differently for each of us.

There are plenty of contentious local and national issues to debate and try to solve. I'm sure I'll get to those in another article, but since I'm writing this on a weekend, I'd rather frame my view of a traffic delay with the opportunity to watch an egret stalk a fish, the cold breeze as a reminder that the hot summer isn't far away (enjoy this) and the crying baby as a real reminder of who's more important than the latest news headline.

I'll borrow an anecdote from Stephen Covey's "Putting First Things First" where he tells of a friend who attended a seminar during which the speaker taught this lesson (I'll paraphrase):

The speaker placed a large, wide-mouth jar on a table and proceeded to load it up with some rocks. He filled it to the top and asked the audience if it was full.

The response was a resounding, "Yes!"

The speaker silently added some gravel to the jar and asked the question again. A few said, "Probably not."

The speaker then added sand and finally added water to the brim, leaving little doubt that it was quite full.

The speaker then asked the audience if they knew the moral of the story. An energetic, young type A spurted out that there was always room to add a little more to your life, even when you think it's full ... if you try hard enough.

Not bad. But not right.

The speaker went on to explain that had not the big rocks been put in first, they never would have fit. The gravel, sand and water were still able to work their ways in. The big rocks represent the things we hold most dear in life. The smaller items represent the busyness, distractions and other more petty "take-it-or-leave-it" kinds of things that we encounter in life.

Put the big rocks in first.

And so my first-ever weekend spin is complete. I hope it's made you think, and I hope it made you laugh.

Jon Rembold is a project manager at Ward Edwards and president of the Lady's Island Business and Professionals Association