I have discovered that the things we love best are usually in their base states with little or no complexities. The moment we go through layers upon layers before a thing unravels, our interest evaporates. There are more laymen than professionals in any field of study or body of knowledge. Art forms like painting or music tend to go viral when a greater percentage of the population can relate or make sense of it. The esoteric concepts and ideas remain underappreciated by mere men but extolled by the authorities in that field. This is in no way calling for an abandonment of excellence, or an acceptance of the status quo without pushing the boundaries and limits of creativity, but rather a reminder that simple things remain the foundation of grandeur.

To become a professor of mathematics, one must have learnt to count numbers like a toddler before mastering advanced formulas. There is no grand and complex knowledge without its basic form and idea. In learning to play the piano, I started with finger exercises, tonic solfas, scales and simple chord formations like the major and minor chords. The wowzers and ear candies pianists enchant their audience with all come from this foundation. Learning is progressive. The moment a man stops learning, he is likened to a stagnant water that soon breeds mosquitoes and oozes a pungent odour. Some are morbid in their appraisal and tag him a dead man.

You might ask, why a long talk in an article about simplicity? Well, the idea is this; If we want to do something more excellently, we need to master the basics and give it even more attention than usual. By paying attention to the basics, we see better ways to reapply the knowledge in building the complex. Those who have mastered individual processes produce masterpieces in arts and skill exhibitions. A perfectly tailored dress is the by-product of a good choice of fabric, accurate measurements and cuts, immaculate construction, neat seams and stitches, a good machine that leaves no loose threads and other factors that a seamstress can better itemize. If one of these factors is botched, the pristine nature of the dress is diminished.

This same principle applies to other human endeavours like marriage, relationship, friendship, fellowship, spiritual growth, leadership, wealth creation and building healthy habits. Identify the complex or overwhelming idea, strip it down to its basic forms and processes, learn, practice and master these base processes and build up the idea till you attain that formerly complex idea in a more refined and mastered form. Marriage’s complexity can be stripped down to communication, healthy and interesting interactions in which the parties are invested and present, consistent kindness, empathy, compassion and a genuine desire to be of help, seeking a partner’s happiness more than one’s gain, friendship with no guile and a choice to actively and consciously make it work.

Social scientists believe that the family is the unit of communities. If individual families are healthy, the community at large will blossom. If a man would be in prime condition, he would need a healthy spirit, soul and body. These are his building blocks. If the simpler things are catered for, the complex matters will be well attended.

As a parting gift, I will be sharing the song that inspired this topic. It speaks about marriage with an uncommon sincerity. The lyrics have stayed with me for about a decade since I first heard them. It’s a beautiful song.

Broken together by Casting crowns https://open.spotify.com/track/2PuvIyN4e2w2i4GIjWCqsB?si=a38e9ca33c0d4de7

https://youtu.be/RhxELo-uD3c?si=fiVO7hrxuNNc_Xk0