Life sometimes throws difficult things our way. Unexpected events occur; at times these are pleasant and at other times they are not. We all face hardships in some form or another (for example, a litigious person may threaten you with an unwarranted lawsuit — see HERE). People around us will make mistakes and there will be instances when we will be negatively impacted by them. This is all part of everyday living.

One way to dramatically simplify your life is to cultivate an attitude of equanimity. Being able to stay calm, composed, and even-tempered when you’re in the midst of a difficult situation can help to keep your life simple.

If you find yourself raging whenever you’re slighted (whether or not it’s intentional), or you feel stress every time something isn’t going perfectly, or you’re inclined to make a big drama out of a little upset, you may find it hard to be at peace within yourself. And when you feel stirred up inside, nothing is simple.

Cultivating equanimity is not easy. It’s definitely a process. It’s something I’m working on in my own life. But I know that learning to detach from events that would otherwise upset me or cause me trouble will make everything easier.

Of course, there’s also the necessity of developing wisdom to know what things are worth our full energy. This is vital. But when something really isn’t that important in your life’s big picture, cultivating calm in the face of adversity is wonderfully simplifying.

If you’re used to stewing on negative things or things over which you do not have control, it will greatly simplify your life to be able to let something go and move on from it. I’ve repeatedly found this to be true in my own life (though, of course, it’s not always something I remember in the heat of the moment – but I’m working on it), and I’m sure it will be true in your life as well.

Do you find life is simpler when you choose to be calm in the face of difficulty?