“Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” – Thor Heyerdahl

This is a favorite quote of mine and it has been coming to mind a lot lately as I have been navigating the waters of being a new mother. There are so many products being thrown at me to solve the many issues one faces in the first month of supporting a new life. As I am finally coming out of that fog, this quote has never rung so true. Take breastfeeding for example. My son didn’t seem to be getting enough milk. I read online that I should pump more to increase my production when what I really needed to do was not pump at all. It turns out, this was decreasing my flow. Breastfeeding is actually very simple. If you want to produce more milk, feed your baby more. No other interventions needed. Once I did this, everything worked itself out. Yet there is so much conflicting information online that does nothing but confuse and incite anxiety. So from now on, rather than trying to add more to fix a problem, I will first think of what I can take away. What is there that is complicating my situation? How can I simplify first to solve this issue?

So here is a simple photo. Taken of a simple fishing boat in Madagascar. In honor both of Thor Heyerdahl, a personal hero of mine, and simplicity, which many times can be the simple solution to any problem.

Magic 109/365, Simplicity, Nose Be, Madagascar, September 2015