Albert Einstein shared an important truth: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
To be truly meaningful, finding simplicity is hard work. The pursuit of wisdom requires a simple premise worth addressing, the discipline to look deeply to understand the complexity involved, and the gift to return from study with a simple statement that is accurate, memorable and clear.
As a columnist, the struggle to get from 1,000 words to 750 is always a challenge. What can be left out? What succinctly communicates your point? What examples or quotes provide needed windows to understanding?
As a speaker, talking for a couple of hours is easier than 45 minutes. The more experience you have the easier it is to be distracted by tangents. The older I get the more everything I say can remind me of something else. But it is focus, simplicity and clarity that matter most.
Einstein's challenge to be as simple as possible but no more, should challenge all of us. Make good use of your words, your meetings and your time. Bring discipline to your thinking and communicating and watch it make a difference.
What do you think?
(Source: Albert Einstein, http://www.heartquotes.net/Einstein.html)
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